There was a point in every set where the match could have gotten away from Sinner. At 3-3 in the first half, he lost a break point, but saved it with a bravely angled forehand that Fritz couldn't return. In the second set, still at 3-3, Sinner lost 0-30 on his serve. Once again, he got away with a courageous game: he won a point with a forehand winner, and another with a brilliant backhand pass. After this pass, Sinner placed his hand on his heart to ask for more noise from the Turin crowd, while Fritz raised his arms in frustration. What did he have to do to earn a big point?
“I read a little bit about where he played,” Sinner said in his usually modest, down-to-earth manner. “I just tried to get past him somehow. »
“If he breaks me there, the dynamic might change. »
Ultimately, the game was a microcosm of both men's seasons.
Fritz has worked hard to get into the Top 10, and now almost the Top 5, and to go further in the biggest non-clay events. But whether in the form of Novak Djokovic, who beat him at the Australian Open, or Sinner, who beat him at the US Open, he eventually hit a ceiling. With a 1-1 record this week, he still has a chance to beat Torino.
We can see now that Sinner will not be easy to break. He's at home, he's 2-0 and he's been virtually invincible on hard court for 13 months now. As he showed against Fritz, Sinner can take his opponent's best equipment and find a higher one.
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