Australian Open, Sinner is in the final. The match against Zverev is on Sunday

For the second consecutive year Jannik Sinner is in the final of the Australian Open. The Italian, holder of the trophy, beat the American Ben Shelton 3-0: 7-6(2), 6-2 6-2. The last act of the tournament is on Sunday. The world number one will face Alexander Zverev, second in the ATP rankings and seeding, who defeated the former number 1 Novak Djokovic, retired after losing the first set at tie break (7-5). The ten-time Australian Open winner, in fact, started the match with a noticeable bandage on his left thigh, after the injury suffered on Wednesday in the quarter-finals against Carlos Alcaraz. Against Zverev the 37-year-old Serbian reached the first set tie-break, losing 7-5, then gave up continuing. The meeting lasted 70 minutes.

Everything was easy, however, for Sinner who on the pitch of the Rod Laver Arena eliminated the American, a 22-year-old from Atlanta, executioner first of Musetti and then of Sonego, after two hours and 37 minutes of play. Shelton was in his second Slam semifinal after the one he lost at the 2023 US Open, the year in which he also achieved his only victory over the blue, in Shanghai, before losing the next five matches, including today’s match.

Sinner, “the first set gave me confidence”

“The first set was very tough and crucial, I don’t even know how I managed to change things. But it gave me confidence: we were both a little tense and I’m satisfied with how I managed my emotions. I’m happy to be in the final again.” So Jannik Sinner after the victory over Ben Shelton which opened the doors to the Australian Open final for the second year in a row. “The physiotherapist’s intervention? There was tension, I had some small cramps but I think he was suffering too – continues the world number one – I tried to move him as much as possible and be aggressive, these matches can get long and I’m happy to have closed it in three sets” Three years ago, right after Melbourne, Sinner decided to rely on Vagnozzi and then Cahill. “It was complicated to decide to change but I had made important decisions even at 13 – he remembers – This team made me become a different player. We are a family off the pitch and we work very well on the pitch. It’s Darren’s last season and I’m happy that we have another chance to fight for the title. The season is still long and we will try to start it off in a great way.” The last obstacle is Alexander Zverev. “It will be a very difficult match, with him all the matches were balanced, anything can happen – comments Sinner -. He’s an incredible player, he’s chasing his first Slam and there will be great tension but it’s nice to be in this position. Sunday will be a special day and I will enjoy it, let’s hope it will be a good match.”

Djokovic, “I couldn’t continue”

“I did everything I could to manage the injury. The drugs and, I think, the brace and the physiotherapy work helped me a little today. But towards the end of the first set I started to feel more and more pain, too much for me to handle, I couldn’t continue like that. An unfortunate ending, but I tried.” This is how Novak Djokovic commented on his retirement in the semifinal against Zverev at the Australian Open due to the problem in his left thigh that had already affected him against Alcaraz. The 37-year-old Serbian, who was looking for his eleventh statement in Melbourne that would have earned him the 25th Slam of his career, he admits: “If I had won the first set I would have tried for a few more games, maybe one more set, but I felt that things were getting worse. Ahead of me would have been a battle of another 3 or 4 hours and I wouldn’t have been able to sustain it today. Since the match with Alcaraz I haven’t trained anymore, apart from the light warm-up an hour before the match. I did some checks, it is a muscle strain, similar injury to two years ago but at the time I had managed it better on the court, but this time it didn’t go the same way.” Djokovic doesn’t even rule out the possibility that this could be his last Australian Open. “I don’t know, everything It’s possible but let’s see how the season goes. If I’m physically well and still have the right motivation, I don’t see why I shouldn’t return.”