Fourth seed Italian Jannik Sinner was a aggressive skier earlier than he devoted himself to tennis, so let’s simply say that his first-round win over Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp wasn’t all downhill. Sinner prevailed 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in what he can now look again on as blowout.
Jannik Sinner bested Botic van de Zandsculp within the opening day of the Australian Open.Credit score: Chris Hopkins
Along with his mop of pink hair, Sinner was excellent in 2023, beating all the highest gamers at totally different occasions earlier than ending all of it off with triumph within the Davis Cup at Australia’s expense. His problem now’s to beat those self same gamers, however in a row, as a result of that’s what is required to win a serious.
Having completed 2023 late, he selected a special path into this Australian Open, spending a little bit of time snowboarding at house within the South Tyrol, eschewing tournaments to play exhibitions on the Kooyong Traditional. He appeared sharp sufficient there with wins over Casper Ruud and Australian Marc Polmans, however this was the actual deal.
The Dutchman was a typical first-round opponent in a serious. He’s No.59 on the planet, a rating that claims his first merchandise of enterprise is merely to get to the second spherical. However he has been so far as the quarter-finals of a serious, on a hardcourt, too, on the US Open in 2021.
On Rod Laver Area on Sunday, he appeared to have as many photographs as Sinner, however not fairly his opponent’s capability to string them collectively. Between high 100 gamers, that’s typically the distinction.
One break of serve in every of the primary two units was sufficient to win them for Sinner. The third started in a madcap manner as Sinner squandered 4 breaks factors, then frittered away his personal serve. The sequence appeared to jolt him into motion, and he romped away from there.