Experience and confidence key for Sinner as he eyes first final
Wins over Djokovic at the end of last year have changed the way the Italian will go into his clash with the 10-time champion
Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Australian Open (Panoramic)
Experience is always key when it comes to the latter stages of Grand Slams, but experience can come in many forms.
Novak Djokovic has been there many times before and seen it all. Having shrugged off a slow start to the tournament, and seemingly a cold, the Serb is favourite to win the Australian Open title for a record-extending 11th time and establish a new record of 25 Grand Slam titles.
Jannik Sinner, his semi-final opponent, and the two other semi-finalists, Daniil Medvedev and Alexander Zverev have all been to this stage before, too. While Sinner and Zverev have yet to win a slam, Medvedev has one to his name and has been to the final here twice.
In terms of the level of experience, Sinner could be said to be the biggest rookie of the four. This will be just the Italian’s second semi-final at a major , his first coming at Wimbledon last summer. However, the fact that Sinner played Djokovic that day means he at least has the experience of playing the world No 1 at this stage, something that his coach, Simone Vagnozzi, believes could be crucial.
“The difference between this semi-final and the one at Wimbledon lies precisely in the fact that that was the first one and the experience was different,” Vignozzi told the Italian Tennis Federation.
“Jannik comes in with better confidence because in the last six months he has made great results and played with great continuity. This time I think he can believe more in a victory against the best player of all time and in such a big stadium.”
Vignozzi: We are very happy to be in this position
Sinner will also take massive confidence from the way he played Djokovic at the end of last year. The Italian picked up his first ever win over Djokovic at the ATP Finals and though the Serb got his revenge in the final, Sinner then took him out for a second time in the semi-finals of the Davis Cup.
Sinner has not dropped a set here this fortnight, which means he should be fresh, which is a pre-requisite for playing the 36-year-old, who still seems to have the stamina to back up big performances time after time, especially over five sets. Vignozzi believes Sinner will need to stick to his guns and go after his shots.
“Although playing with Nole three out of five is not the easiest thing in the world; we have to try to be aggressive, try to hold the game, serve well and always stay as close to him as possible in the score.
“We are very happy to be in this position, satisfied with the way he played the first part of the tournament. Tomorrow’s semi-final represents another wonderful experience for Jannik. We try to live it without too much pressure, always with a smile on the face.”
Daniil Medvedev has had a smile on his face at the end of his matches here, enjoying his discussions with the on-court interviewer, especially when it has been Jim Courier. On the court, though, he has had to deal with a lot of adversity, from a 3.39am finish which meant he got to bed at 7am, to a second five-setter, against Hubert Hurkacz, who ran him awfully close.
The question for Medvedev, as he prepares to face a Zverev on a high after beating Carlos Alcaraz in his quarter-final, is what kind of physical shape he will be in. The Russian said he felt “destroyed” after beating Hurkacz but he will feel more comfortable against the German.
Medvedev: After every match, I’m destroyed
Medvedev leads Zverev 11-7 in their head to head battles and in their six clashes in 2023, the Russian won five of them. His incredible ability to survive long rallies on court – and win them – as he did against Hurkacz, should stand him in good stead.
“After every match I’m in the locker room I’m destroyed,” he said. “But then we do a good job. One day off is probably enough to feel good the next day. So far, so good in the beginning of the matches, and that’s what matters. Then try to win, and then if you’re dead after, doesn’t matter because you have a day off.”
Zverev. meanwhile, is back into a Grand Slam semi-final for the fifth time. Having taken time to rediscover top form after the ankle injury that he suffered at Roland-Garros in 2022, he showed against Alcaraz that when he’s serving big and being aggressive on his backhand, he is a threat to anyone.
The problem for Zverev is that Medvedev is likely to make a lot of returns and is unlikely to make the kind of mistakes Alcaraz did in the first two and a half sets. If he stays solid early on, it could be a tough night for Zverev. On the other hand, it’s possible he feels he’s playing with no pressure, with few people expecting him to win.
“I was kind of on top of my game before the injury happened,” he said. “I was at my best level so far in my career. I’m obviously extremely happy to be back where I am and winning these kind of matches, and giving myself the chance again. Because last year, for the first part of the season, or actually throughout the year, I wasn’t a slam contender. I wasn’t a contender to win tournaments like that.”
