Miami [US], March 30 : Jannik Sinner delivered a stunning semi-final performance to fly past Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 at the ongoing Miami Open.
Sinner needed just one hour and nine minutes to demolish the defending champion Medvedev and book his place in the final. The 22-year-old Italian is now one win away from his third title of the season.
"I felt great on court today. Usually the more you go on in a tournament, the more comfortable I feel. I'm very happy with this performance," Sinner said as quoted by ATP.
The second seed exploded out of the gate, jumping to a 5-0 lead as he hammered the ball and kept Medvedev guessing whether he should play offence or defence.
Medvedev began the match inside Hard Rock Stadium by returning closer to the baseline, which contrasted with his usual stance near the back wall. He later returned to a deep posture, but he failed to convert any of his three break attempts throughout the day.
Sinner's momentum continued as he claimed 10 consecutive games from late in the first set to the second set, breaking Medvedev at love in the first game. Sinner frequently placed the ball on a dime and vexed the World No. 4 with his unwavering consistency, making only 12 unforced errors to Medvedev's 22.
"He made a lot of mistakes, which he usually doesn't make. I just took the chance. I was expecting a really tough match. If he breaks me in the first set or in the second set, it's already very different," Sinner said of Medvedev.
Sinner was patient in backhand-to-backhand exchanges, not rushing the ball down the line early, as he did in the first two sets of the Australian Open final, resulting in multiple unforced errors.
"I remember the night before my [first] final [in 2021], I couldn't sleep. I was sweating during the night. Now I handle the situation much, much better. I'm just excited and happy to be back. Hopefully, I can play some good tennis on Sunday," the Italian said.
Sinner will aim for his second ATP Masters 1000 crown (2023 Toronto) when he take on 11th seed Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday's title match.
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