Jannik Sinner has qualified for the Roland Garros finalHe beat Novak Djokovic with a score of 6-4, 7-5, 7-6. The very balanced match lasted three hours and 17 minutes. Now the South Tyrolean number 1 in the world will face the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz (number 2 ATP), who qualified thanks to the withdrawal of Lorenzo Mustetti. Sinner is the first Italian to play the title match after almost 50 years: in 1976 Adriano Panatta he even managed to win it.
Sinner is there and flies to the final at Roland Garros
The match between the strongest player in the ranking and 24-time Grand Slam champion polarized the attention and put on a show for three hours and 17 minutes of play. The Serbian held his own with class and determination against the Italian, who however, with the patience of the strong, obtained in each of the three sets the break needed to avoid extending the challenge in a dangerous area, despite having to save three set points in the third that Djokovic had earned. Having reached the tie break, Sinner had no qualms, quickly gaining a decisive advantage.
Sinner flies to the final: here's what he said after the victory
“I had to play my best tennis. Novak showed once again that he is a role model for us younger players. We are lucky to see him still playing at this level,” Sinner said after the triumph.
“Novak has won so much – the words reported by supertennis.tv – he is the best in our sport, facing him here is fantastic. I try not to think about it but before you step on the field you feel a little bit of tension, you know what you are going to face. The final with Carlos on Sunday will be very difficult. The last head-to-heads with Carlos are not going well for me, but I will try to do my best,” added Jannik, who will face Carlos Alcaraz in the first Slam final between two players born in the 2000s. “I want to enjoy this moment, which is special. Let’s try to appreciate it, also because tomorrow we have a day off. Thanks to all the fans for treating me so well throughout the tournament,” concluded Sinner.
Errani and Paolini: the Italian dream in the hands of two women
Despite Musetti's step back, the dream of a Sunday with strong Italian colours is also in the hands of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, who will play for the title that slipped away from them last year thanks to a crushing victory, 6-0, 6-1, over the young Russians Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider.
Musetti: here's why he retired
So it broke at the most beautiful moment Musetti's dream. The Tuscan had raised Italy's hopes for a intense and hard-fought semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz, then compromised by a physical problem. Starting off great, Musetti had won the first set 6-4 with a decisive break, showing brilliant and courageous tennis. After losing a second set played point by point in the tie-break (6-7), his run gradually faded: an evident physical collapse led him to clearly give up the third set (0-6) and to retire at the beginning of the fourth (0-2) due to an injury to his adductors.
(Last update: June 6th at 22.45pm)
