By Kevin Rademeyer, Sports Journalist.
Photo Credit: AELTC.
Live from Wimbledon: The Wimbledon men’s final has the look of a contest that has been building for months.
World No.1 against the world No.2. The defending champion against the reigning French Open champion. Jannik Sinner versus Alexander Zverev is the match the Championships hoped for, and perhaps the one men’s tennis deserves.
For Sinner, Sunday offers the chance to confirm what much of the tennis world already believes. Despite one painful afternoon at Roland Garros, where he surrendered a seemingly unassailable lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the Italian remains the benchmark. His response has been emphatic.
After surviving an uncertain opening round at Wimbledon, where Miomir Kecmanovic pushed him to five sets, Sinner has not dropped another set. By the time he dismantled Novak Djokovic in Friday’s semifinal, there was little doubt that the champion had rediscovered his sharpest form.
His victory over the seven-time Wimbledon champion was ruthless rather than emotional. Djokovic searched for answers but found none. Sinner served with remarkable variety, dictated almost every baseline exchange and never allowed one of the greatest returners in history to settle.
“I knew mentally that today I had to raise my level, which I’ve done,” Sinner said after the semi final. “I’m very happy to be back in the final and we hope for a good final on Sunday.”
Djokovic could only admire what was unfolding. “You cannot attack his first serve,” the Serbian admitted. “Very unpredictable serve, great variety, great balance. He’s just super solid. He backs it up with the first aggressive shot. It’s really, really tough to play him.”
That serve has become one of the defining features of Sinner’s fortnight. He leads the tournament with 113 aces and has won 85 per cent of points behind his first delivery. On quick grass courts, it is an imposing combination.
Standing across the net is a player who arrives carrying a different kind of confidence.
Alexander Zverev finally removed the burden that had followed him throughout his career by winning his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last month. The German admits it has changed everything.
“Once you win a major you know how to do it and you feel like you can do it again,” he said. “You have this feeling inside of you. I also feel like I worked on my game a lot. Sometimes in sport it’s as simple as that.”
His Wimbledon campaign suggests exactly that.
For years grass was considered his least comfortable surface. Before this summer he had never progressed beyond the fourth round at the All England Club. Now, after ending Arthur Fery’s remarkable run in the semi finals, he stands one victory away from consecutive Grand Slam titles.
Yet history offers a sobering reminder of the challenge ahead. Sinner has won their last nine meetings. Zverev has not taken a set from the Italian in their last six encounters and has often struggled to cope with Sinner’s relentless pace and depth from the baseline.
Still, there is one intriguing difference. Sunday will be the first time they have faced each other on grass.
“It’s going to be a bit different,” Sinner acknowledged. “Less exchanges, less rhythm. It’s going to be good for a big server. Whatever happened in the past happened. In between he won a Grand Slam in Paris, which gave him a lot of confidence.”
That confidence is perhaps the great unknown.
For so long, Zverev carried the label of the best player never to win a major. That weight has now disappeared. Whether it also frees him to challenge the one player who has consistently had his measure remains to be seen.
Everything points towards a contest decided by the finest margins. Both men are serving superbly. Both are striking the ball with authority. Long rallies may be rare, with points likely to be settled within the opening few shots.
It is the ideal Wimbledon final.
The sport’s two outstanding players have earned the right to contest its most prestigious prize. One seeks to defend his crown and reinforce his status as the game’s dominant force. The other believes his breakthrough in Paris is only the beginning. By Sunday evening, one of them will have proved it.