Sinner Paints A Hardcourt Masterpiece, Advances To Third Miami Open Final

Jannik Sinner, Miami Open
Jannik Sinner (photo: Miami Open/Hard Rock Stadium)

MIAMI/WASHINGTON, March 30, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

In a mere 69 minutes, Jannik Sinner painted a masterpiece against a hardcourt master, defending Miami Open champion Daniil Medvedev, at Hard Rock Stadium Friday afternoon.

When it was over – and, if you blinked or left your seat for too long, you might have missed it – the World No. 3 and second seed Sinner from Italy had beaten the World No. 4 and third seed Medvedev of Russia thoroughly, 6-1, 6-2, to reach his third Miami Open final in four years.

On Sunday afternoon, Sinner will face No. 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov for the 2024 Miami Open title after the 32-year-old Bulgarian fought off fourth seed Alexander Zverev of Germany, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4.

Sinner, the 22-year-old from South Tyrol, is one win away from his third title of the season, following earlier triumphs at the Australian Open and in Rotterdam, which would elevate him to a career-high No. 2 ranking on Monday, while Dimitrov is in pursuit of his first Miami Open and first ATP Masters 1000 title.

“I felt great on court today,” Sinner expressed in his on-court interview after his 21st victory of the season in 22 outings. “Usually, the more you go on in a tournament, the more comfortable I feel. I’m very happy with this performance.”

From opening ball – the first of Sinner’s seven aces – through to match point, which Sinner won after Medvedev sent a fourth-shot backhand wide left, there was no denying him. He played that good and the poor, overmatched Russian could do very little right — no matter where he lined up to receive Sinner’s first serves. Although Medvedev moved back as the match wore on, he was unable to cash in on any of the three break points he had against Sinner. Meanwhile, Sinner converted four of nine break-point opportunities. They were a difference maker throughout the semifinal tussle.

Sinner raced out to a double-break 5-0 lead at the start and there was no turning back. His intensity and momentum never wavered, and by the end of the match, Sinner had outpointed Medvedev 60-37. He hit 16 winners to just 12 unforced errors, while Medvedev could muster just seven winners while racking up 22 unforced errors.

“He made a lot of mistakes, which he usually doesn’t make,” Sinner said of Medvedev, whom he has beaten five straight times since losing the Miami final a year ago. “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.”

The loss dropped Medvedev to 18-4 this season, and although he’s won 20 career ATP Tour titles, he’s never successfully defended any of them.

“The margins are small when you play someone like Jannik who is in great shape. I needed to play my best, which I didn’t do,” Medvedev said in his post-match news conference.

“He played well, so, you know, not much more I can add. I needed to play better if I wanted to win and I didn’t manage to do it.”

Dimitrov returns to Top 10 with win against Zverev

World No. 12 Dimitrov’s two-hour, 37-minute 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-4 win over Zverev was just his second in nine career head-to-head meetings going back to 2014 and snapped the German’s seven-match winning streak against him. He earned his second straight win over a Top-5 opponent after defeating World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz a day earlier in the quarterfinals through his hustle, determination and grit.

Dimitrov fired 18 aces, won 78 percent of his first-serve points, hit 45 winners and converted both of his break point chances, the first which won the opening set and the second one put him ahead for good at 4-3 in the final set. Dimitrov outpointed Zverev 99-89.

With his victory over Zverev, Dimitrov moves to No. 9 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, securing his position in next week’s Top 10 for the first time since November 2018. The 260-week gap between Top-10 visits is third-longest in ATP rankings history (since 1973).

“It was like a dogfight on both ends,” said Dimitrov in his on-court interview. “I think we really went at each other, especially after that first set. I felt like he upped his game a little bit and he was very, very strong throughout the whole second set and even in the tie-break. He was constantly putting a lot of pressure on me.

“And then in the third set, he had one [break] chance. I served good and then I stayed and I kept on going after my shots. I think in the end, I played with a little bit more authority and was moving the ball very well.”

Around the Miami Open

Friday’s Miami Open results

Saturday’s Miami Open order of play

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner leads the ATP Tour in wins this season (21) losing just once to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals last week. He’s the youngest of eight players to reach three Miami finals in tournament history.

“Quotable …”

“I fight my own battles right now. I run my own race. I think all that comes with all the work that we have put in as a team. I’m on a very different path in my life, in my career. There’s a lot that was done, a lot of work, a lot of everything behind it. I kept on believing, I kept on thriving, I kept on having faith in myself. … This is just the cherry on the cake.”

— Grigor Dimitrov, during his post-match on-court interview, on what it means retuning to the ATP Top 10 for the first time since November 2018.

 

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