Jannik Sinner makes honest confession as he extends dominant record with Miami win
Jannik Sinner is the undisputed king of Italian tennis and he confirmed that with another dominant victory against a compatriot at the Miami Open.
The No 2 seed has been the form player of the year so far, winning the Australian Open in January and showing the kind of form that could earn him a crack at the world No 1 ranking at some point in 2024.
One statistic where Sinner is undoubtedly flawless is his record against Italian friends and rivals and he extended that to an impressive 12-0 with his 6-3 6-4 second round win against qualifier Andrea Vavassori in Miami.
Sinner is now only the fourth player in the open to win his first 12 ATP matches against his compatriots after Manuel Orantes, Guillermo Vilas and Bob Hewitt.
In a match held over from Friday’s rain delays, Sinner banished concerns around his fitness with a polished display on the Stadium Court.
He had raised some concerns over his health after he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals at Indian Wells, complaining of an elbow problem in his post-match press conference.
Sinner also appeared to be flexing his calf as he lost against Alcaraz, but he admitted he was concerned about his levels at the start of the match on Friday.
“Yesterday I didn’t feel so good on court, but today was a little bit better, so I’m happy about the performance,” said Sinner.
“For sure it’s tough, especially with a player when I have zero idea what is coming. So I had to prepare well and when I had the break I just tried to stay calm with my service games. It went my way in the end.”
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Sinner also spoke about his mentality on court, as he insisted tennis was not the only motivation in his life, in an interview with the Tennis Channel.
“Tennis is not everything in life,” he stated. “I do whatever I can to be the best, but at some point it’s going to be over.
“I don’t think about that now because I am only 22, making 23 this year. You just have to give your best.
“I’m just happy to be here. I’m enjoying it and I’m just looking forward to every match.
“Tennis is a game that you win and sometimes you lose if your opponent serves well or plays well, you can’t control that.
“I always give 100 per-cent and so far this season has been amazing. I just try to keep improving.”
Sinner also looked back on his win against Vavassori, as he admitted it was a step into the unknown.
“He is tough to play against,” he added. “I know him as a person, but not so much as a player.
“He is a big server and covers the net really well. He is a great doubles player.”
Sinner won 33 of 36 first points in the match, with the improved service motion that has driven his dramatic improvement over the last six months proving to be a valuable asset once again.
One of the in-form players in the men’s game will now take on Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor in is next match.
