Key events
Djokovic 5-7 2-1 Sinner* And again! Sinner opens the game with another glorious winner, this time an inside-out backhand that lands on the sideline, but Djokovic quickly makes 30-15, then curls an ace on to the T … and slaps another down the middle before nipping off for a slash at change of ends. It can happen at his age, chortles the 44-year-old of the 36-year-old.
Djokovic 5-7 1-1 Sinner* Djokovic is finding it hard to hit with his usual precision, perhaps because sinner’s easy power is so difficult to handle. But just as I type that, he hits a forehand wide, handing over 30-all … but Djokovic nets his next return, then two overheads see him home in the game. There’s a calm about him out there, like he knows he’s ready.
*Djokovic 5-7 1-0 Sinner Ooooh yeah! Sinner is hitting it like God here, and a forehand winner down the line puts him up 0-15; is Djokovic tottering? Er, what do you think, dear reader? He’s soon at 30-15, then a lovely volley has him holding the pose like Jonny Bairstow after a cover-drive, and from there he closes out a crucial hold.
“The way Djokovic plays,” explains Coach Calv, “he leaves low % shots for the opponent to go for. Sometimes they make them.”
Trudat – though Sinner’s serving, volleying and forehand have been great.
Jannik Sinner takes the first set 7-5!
Djokovic 5-7 Sinner* Djokovic nets a backhand, then a booming serve and forehand force a defensive lob … which drops long. 30-0, and this is superb stuff from Sinner, who really believes he can do this. All the more so when Djokovic nets a return, but as we know, it’s not easy closing out from 40-0, the crowd roaring when they think he’s landed an ace, but it’s called wide and the champ looks distracted by the noise. AND WHEN DJOKOVIC NETS ANOTHER FOREHAND, THAT’S THE SET TO SINNER! He’s played so well so far – he’s not winning because he’s hit a ludicrous purple patch, he’s winning because he’s mixed power, solidity and composure like it’s just what he does. All in all, a great set (of tennis).
*Djokovic 5-6 Sinner Brilliant from Djokovic, racing to 40-0 … whereupon Sinner flows a backhand return down the line and on to the line for a clean winner. Then, when Djokovic doesn’t do enough with a volley, he’s caught at the net and quickly passed. AND HAVE A LOOK! From deep in court, Sinner ups the velocity with a pair of forehands, creams a winner down the line, and makes deuce! NOW THEN! Djokovic doubles, the partisan crowd cheer, he sarcastically applauds them, Sinner lands a gorgeous backhand return on to the baseline … then absolutely monsters another that’s too good! From 40-0 up, Djokovic is broken, and didn’t then youngster earn that! After change of ends, he’ll serve for the first set!
Djokovic 5-5 Sinner* A serve out wide, a return into the net; 15-0. But then a netted forehand and a netted volley coming in – he should’ve put that away – leaves Djokovic two points away from the set. But though he lands a forehand return on to the line, he then errs and that’s all the invitation Sinner needs, two big first serves levelling the match again.
*Djokovic 5-4 Sinner As yet, I’ve been unable to find a full-length shot of Djokovic, who’s wearing a bottle green top with line green stripes, bottle green shorts, white socks, lime green trainers, a line green sweatband and a white sweatband. Which is to say it’s a total mess – unlike this service game, featuring an ace, a service-winner, and a hold to love. So the pressure ratchets up, Sinner about to serve to stay in the set.
Djokovic 4-4 Sinner* Sinner looks a different cat these days – he’s so confident in himself now and he races to 30-0 before a shanked forehand gives Djokovic a glimmer. An ace follows, then Djokovic goes wide with a forehand, and this has got 7-6 6-7 7-6 written all over it.
*Djokovic 4-3 Sinner Up 15-0, Djokovic swipes a backhand wide, then shovels another to similar area, and in a match of few chances, this counts as one. But Djokovic dictates the next rally, finishing it with a forehand down the line. However! Sinner finds a decent return then a decent backhand and Djokovic nets on the forehand, so here comes break point … quickly extinguished via service winner. From there, he closes out, and it would also be classic him to break next game after fending off Sinner here. “Some of the best ball-striking i’ve ever seen,” says Henman of both men from courtside.
Djokovic 3-3 Sinner* With plenty of time to plan a shot at the net, Sinner snatches and slams a backhand long, but then backs away towards the backhand side to send a forehand to the opposite corner fior a clean winner. That’s a great shot, but at 30-15, he goes long, and it would be so Djokovic to break here, having been unable to threaten previously; we wind up at deuce, and both men know what it means if Sinner can’t hold the first time a little pressure is applied. Yeah. A long rally, both players hitting it beautifully, then Sinner chucks in a surprise drop that looks inspired … until Djokovic not only runs it down, but from the backhand side, somehow conjures an angle to get the ball across the face of the net for a winner. Yeah. So Sinner powers down an ace then an unreturnable serve, and this time when he lays a drop, he reads the cross-court riposte and is there to send another winner into the empty space. The crowd love it and rightly so: this is shaping up.
*Djokovic 3-2 Sinner A fair backhand return, a netted drop; Sinner is up 0-15, ahead when receiving for the first time. And when he swipes a backhand cross-court, he’s a chance of a pass when sent a volley to the forehand corner. But Djokovic reads he’s going line and this time does stick away a winner before sealing the game with an ace sliced out wide. So far, this is the highest-standard match I’ve seen so far this week.
Djokovic 2-2 Sinner* Sinner kicks off the game with an ace … and another ace. He’s serving superbly, and as I type he clobbers a third down the middle! Another biggun into the T almost secures the game, but Djokovic sends it back on the stretch then lasts longer in a brutal rally before an inside-out forehand winner gives him 40-30. He hit that so hard and a game seemingly over is now in the balance … for as long as it takes Djokovic to go long on the backhand.
*Djokovic 2-1 Sinner Lovely from Djokovic, a serve into the corner, a volley into the opposite corner and, when Sinner chases it down to pass, another volley, this time on the stretch and for a winner. 30-0 soon follows, then an ace for 40 and a service winner for game. Three in the books and I’m not sure we’ve seen a competitive point yet.
Djokovic 1-1 Sinner* Sinner starts well too, the crowd cheering his every point as he races to 40-0 with two unreturned serves of his own … before sealing the game with an ace. If he keeps that up, he’ll be competitive tonight – at the very least.
*Djokovic 1-0 Sinner (*denotes server) Sinner’s improved a lot this year, attacking more and volleying better. But two service winners and a two netted returns give Djokovic a love-hold, and if the young pretender wanted to receive so he could settle, he hasn’t because he couldn’t get a ball back into play.
The players are ready and … play.
Sinner wins the toss and elects to receive. Does he want to put pressure on Djokovic, or is he nervous, wanting to settle into the match before he’s under any pressure?
Here come our players!
Ahahahaha! It’s now easier to list records Djokovic hasn’t broken, rather than those he has.
Greg Rusedski thinks Sinner will want long points to tire Djokovic out. Now, of course he knows slightly more about tennis than me, but i see that the other way around. The longer points go, the more they favour Djokovic, who I just don’t think will gas over a best of three, indoors, at night, in November.
There are people in the crowd dressed up as carrots; I think this is because Sinner is ginger, but I could be wrong.
“I think Sinner is good but he’s one dimensional,” messages our resident coach, Calvin Betton. “Similar to Rune v Djokovic, Sinner can hit through him, but he hits less flat and with more shape than Rune, which Djok prefers.”
It’s been a really fun tournament so far. Daniil Medvedev looked great last evening, Rune is in form too, and Djokovic is just so good at doing whatever the situation demands. Oh, and Alexander Zverev looked great in beating Carlos Alcaraz yesterday; he meets Medvedev tomorrow night, with Alcaraz facing Rublev in the afternoon.
I’m interested to see how Sinner handles a partisan home crowd. Northern Italians – those close to the Austrian border – are stereotyped as calm dudes, the opposite of how the rest of Italy sees itself, and Sinner lives up to that. So, does he seek to shut out the crowd, or can he use its energy to fire his performance?
Obviously we don’t yet know if Tsitsipas will return for his final match, but given it’s against Djokovic, and given he lost his first one to Sinner, we can probably assume he’s out. And if the three other group-members all have wins over him, what’ll matter is what happens when they play each other. If Djokovic wins tonight, he’s almost definitely through, in which case Rune v Sinner will decide who comes with him.
Earlier today:
Preamble
I’m looking forward to this one; who isn’t looking forward to this one; how not to look forward to this one?
It’s a weird thing really, because despite our anticipation, we know what’s likely to happen: Novak Djokovic finds a way to win. But that’s how it is with dominant champions: we tune in to marvel at their magnificence, but also, we tune in hoping to see them take a doing.
And we can make a case for Jannik Sinner to make that happen. He’s playing in front of his home crowd, he’s in form, and he’s one of very few who can hit through Djokovic.
Sounds simple, right? Except, of course, we know in advance that it isn’t. Djokovic has the skills and smarts to keep Sinner moving so he can’t unleash, and makes so many balls that eventually his opponent makes a mistake. But an upset remains plausible, and even if it doesn’t work out that way, there’s every chance of another fun, intense and close match.
Play: 9pm local, 8pm GMT
