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Jannik Sinner retains Australian Open title with straight sets win over Alexander Zverev

Jannik Sinner reinforced his dominance in men's tennis by securing a second consecutive Australian Open title with a victory over Alexander Zverev. The Italian world No 1 became just the eighth player in the Open era (since 1968) to win the first three Grand Slam men's singles finals he has contested with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 success in Melbourne on Sunday.

Sinner has maintained an unbeaten record on hard courts at major tournaments since his loss to Zverev in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open, building on his first title at this event last year with a victory in New York.

Jannik Sinner retains Australian Open title with straight sets win over Alexander Zverev
Jannik Sinner (Credits - Australian Open)

A repeat of Zverev's victory in 2023 never looked on the cards, with Sinner showcasing all the qualities that have made him virtually untouchable on the surface.

In addition to achieving his 21st consecutive victory on hard courts at Grand Slam events, this accomplishment has also prolonged his current career-best winning streak across all competitions to 21 matches, following a defeat in the final in Beijing earlier in October. Furthermore, he has secured 47 wins out of his first 50 matches as the world No. 1, thereby matching the ATP record.

Following his last backhand that sailed beyond Zverev, Sinner—who remains focused on his game despite the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his doping case—raised his arms in victory.

The loss signifies that Zverev's quest for his first major title continues, as the German has now experienced defeats in finals held in New York, Paris, and Melbourne.

The other two matches were closely contested five-set encounters that he could have potentially won; however, he faced pressure from the outset in this instance due to his opponent's unyielding ball-striking and exceptional movement.

Sinner praised Zverev, saying: "First of all I would like to start with Sascha, a tough day for you and your whole team.

"You're an amazing player, keep believing in yourself. Whoever is involved in this sport knows how strong you are. We all believe you can lift one of these very soon."

The Italian then addressed his team, including coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Australian Darren Cahill, who is set to retire at the end of the season and was in tears.

The 23-year-old said: "Talking about my team, what can I say? We worked a lot to be again in this position, it's an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you.

"I know Darren, maybe I try to convince you to carry on, but it's your last Australian Open as a coach and I'm very happy to share this trophy with you.

"Everything started a little bit when I made my whole change. I think you are an amazing combination of coaches."

How Sinner successfully defended his title

Jannik Sinner retains Australian Open title with straight sets win over Alexander Zverev
Credits - Tennis.com

Zverev successfully placed 81 percent of his first serves during the initial set; however, he encountered six break points. Ultimately, on the final break point in the eighth game, a poorly judged attempt to approach the net led to his downfall.

Sinner's remarkable skill to not only retrieve balls but also to strike winners while off balance is exceptional, and he quickly placed Zverev in a challenging position during the second set.

The second seed, having gained an advantage from Novak Djokovic's retirement after just one set in their semi-final match, successfully countered the challenge and started to achieve some success in an offensive manner.

Sinner extricated himself from a difficult position at 0-30 during the 10th game and subsequently energized the audience by triumphing in a remarkable exchange during the next service game at 30-30. He ultimately secured a winner past Zverev, raising his fist in a subdued yet triumphant gesture of celebration.

Zverev needed a victory in the second set tie-break to introduce an element of uncertainty into the match; however, he found himself lamenting his misfortune when a shot from Sinner grazed the top of the net at 4-4, resulting in a winning point.

Shortly thereafter, a forehand from the Italian struck just outside the line, concluding the set, prompting Zverev to angrily slam his racket onto his bag in reaction.

Sinner found himself two sets behind Daniil Medvedev in last year's final before mounting a comeback. However, his opponent struggled to gain any foothold in the match, and a crucial break of serve at 2-3 ultimately sealed his fate.

Zverev relinquished the match point with a forehand that veered significantly off the line, allowing Sinner to secure victory with a precise backhand passing shot. In a display of elation, he raised his arms in celebration and ascended into the stands to embrace his team.

Zverev's pursuit of his first Grand Slam title continues, following his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the final of last year's French Open and his loss to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open. The German displayed deep emotion after experiencing yet another heart-wrenching defeat, with Sinner offering support to his opponent prior to the trophy presentation.

Cover Credits - Olympics.com

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