Big setback: Sinner is subject to Alcaraz – tennis

Jannik Sinner found his master in Carlos Alcaraz. © ANSA / YOAN VALAT

Jannik Sinner’s hopes of participating in the ATP finals in Turin have become significantly smaller. On Wednesday, the 20-year-old lost to the exceptional Spanish talent Carlos Alcaraz in two contested sets at the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris-Bercy.

03. November 2021

Author: leo

To the amazement of many, the duel, eagerly awaited by the whole tennis world, did not take place on the center court, but on a smaller side court. Sinner should have liked that, as the conditions on Court 1 are a little faster than on the main square. Ultimately, however, it only played a minor role, as the two actors who are undisputedly the toughest hits on the entire ATP tour met each other. Because the youngsters are not (yet) the best servers and there were many rallies, the fans were offered a lot of them. Ultimately, the player who took the initiative more often and produced fewer mistakes won: Carlos Alcaraz. The Spaniard won 7: 6, 7: 5.

The coaching gurus Riccardo Piatti and Juan Carlos Ferrero had sent their protégés onto the pitch with a clearly recognizable tactic. You should try to dictate the point with the first stroke after the service or after the return, to put the opponent on the defensive so that he cannot develop his power. A tough struggle developed right from the start: The first two games, which ended with just as many breaks, lasted exactly a quarter of an hour. Overall, Alcaraz found a little better in the game, but could not gain a decisive advantage.

Alcaraz does not allow anything

So both managed their service games confidently after the hard-fought start phase. It went into the tiebreak, in which Alcaraz played a number of unbelievable points at the beginning, had the necessary luck on his side with two net rollers, pulled away unassailable to 4-0 and won the set after 66 minutes. Sinner then left the place to collect himself.

Carlos Alcaraz played an outstanding match. © ANSA / YOAN VALAT

When he returned, the pace on the square did not change. Nobody could gain an advantage. Neither Alcaraz, who continues to perform well, nor Sinner, who could not quite build on his outstanding performance of the last few weeks, looked a bit tired. But he fought – and fended off a total of six break chances in the first three games of the second set. Nevertheless, he never found the rhythm he wanted, made too many mistakes in his own service games – in contrast to Alcaraz – and got the decisive break with a score of 5: 5. The Spaniard then had no problems closing the sack on his own serve.

Hope and tremble

Due to the defeat, Sinner left important points with regard to the ATP finals – especially in view of the results of his fiercest competitors. Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz and Cameron Norrie are all in the round of 16 in Paris – and they also have a good draw. If Sinner wants to go to Turin, he has to hope that his opponents will soon be eliminated in Paris and will score big at the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm next week.