February 18, (THEWILL) – Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner extended his unbeaten run to 15 matches by powering to his first Rotterdam Open title on Sunday. The Italian top seed broke down a stubborn defensive effort from Australia’s Alex De Minaur to win 7-5 6-4 in a high-quality encounter.
The victory takes 22-year-old Sinner to a career-high ranking of world number three. His determined opponent, 25-year-old De Minaur, went into the match in the form of his life but had not prevailed against Sinner in six previous attempts.
In fast-paced early exchanges, De Minaur’s valiant defence initially held firm. However, Sinner’s heavy groundstrokes eventually pierced through for a crucial break at 2-2. More pulsating rallies followed, De Minaur breaking back after saving two set points in game 10, thanks to some astonishing retrieving.
The fifth seed ill-advisedly left a volley dropping on the baseline to go down a break once more. This time, serving for the set, Sinner closed it out to delight the Rotterdam spectators.
The second set began just as intensely, the players trading breaks to 3-3. But a tired backhand into the net from De Minaur gifted Sinner another crucial break. Serving out the championship, he finished strongly to seal a 6-4 win.
The two are close friends and warmly embraced post-match following an entertaining contest. De Minaur reached the final after an epic semi-final against Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov, describing it as his “best match on tour.” Meanwhile, Sinner progressed serenely, aided by injury to Milos Raonic in the quarters.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
