There is a lot of talk, and rightly so, about the rivalry between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. A confrontation that seems destined to indelibly mark the next decade based on the talent and age of both tennis players. However, the one they have been starring in for four years is nothing to be sneezed at. the redheaded Italian (22 years old) and Daniil Medvedev (28 years old).
Without going any further, both met in the final of the first Grand Slam of the year. A vibrant five-set duel in Melbourne in which Sinner had to come back to lift the first major of his career.
That match will be repeated today in one of the men’s semifinals of the Miami Open after the triumphs of the Italian and the Russian against the Czech Tomas Machac -6-4, 6-2- and the Chilean Nicholas Jarry -6.2, 7-6(7)-, respectively, in the quarterfinals.
Sinner and Medvedev already played in last year’s final at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, a duel in which the Russian won 7-5, 6-3.
It was his sixth victory in as many matches against the transalpine tennis player. Then there were four more… and Sinner won in all of them. It can be said, therefore, that The world number 3 has already taken revenge in a big way.
The first match between them dates back to February 2020 and was in the second round in Marseille. Sinner was only 18 years old but he stood up to the Russian, who was already the fifth player in the world ranking. The Italian won the first set 6-1 but paid for his inexperience in the next two, which fell to Medvedev’s side 6-1, 6-2.
The second confrontation was also in Marseille, the following year and in the quarterfinals. Medvedev was already third on the ATP list and Sinner had climbed to 34th place but he was no match for the Russian (6-2, 6-4), who would end up lifting the trophy against Pierre-Hugues Herbert. That same year, Daniil would defeat ‘local’ Jannik in the group stage of the ATP Finals in Turin, 6-0, 6-7, 7-6.
Beijing, turning point
Already in 2022, new victory for the Russian in Vienna (6-4, 6-2) and a year later, in Rotterdam, first final between both with identical outcome (5-7, 6-2, 6-2). Then came the aforementioned final in Miami, which to Medvedev’s chagrin was the prelude to a turning point in the face to face between the twoas it was his last victory against Sinner.
And it is that The Italian added up to four victories in just four months, in the final in Beijing (7-6, 7-6), in the final in Vienna (7-6, 4-6, 6-3), in the semifinals of the ATP Finals (6-3, 6-7 , 6-1) and in the final of the Australian Open (3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3). What is called a complete revenge. Today comes the eleventh chapter of a rivalry that is giving us memorable moments.
2024-03-29 09:03:51
#Sinner #Medvedev #great #rivalry #era
