Sinner fends off Zverev to retain Wimbledon crown
Italian top seed Jannik Sinner resisted an all-out onslaught by an inspired Alexander Zverev to retain his Wimbledon crown in a thunderous final and claim a fifth Grand Slam title on Sunday.
Zverev, in his first Wimbledon final hot on the heels of winning the French Open, threatened an upset after taking an intense opening set, but eventually ran out of firepower as Sinner found another gear to win 6-7(7) 7-6(2) 6-3 6-4.
The destiny of the title was still on a knife edge nearly three hours into an absorbing contest but second seed Zverev’s resistance finally cracked after a nasty tumble in the third set and Sinner surged on to the title.
Sinner, 24, became the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title last year by beating Carlos Alcaraz, and now joins an elite list of 10 men to successfully defend it in the professional era.
It was a 10th successive victory for Sinner over Zverev but this time he was pushed to the limit by the 29-year-old who had been bidding to become the first German man to win the Wimbledon title since Michael Stich in 1991.
Zverev’s first serve percentage hovered around 80 percent for much of the match while his forehand, often his Achilles heel at big moments during his career, proved a fearsome weapon as he went toe-to-toe with his opponent.
Sinner’s second-round meltdown at the French Open and then a close shave in the first round here against Miomir Kecmanovic a fortnight ago raised doubts about his form and condition.
But he ended the tournament showing why he is the best in the world, not dropping a single service game in a semi-final defeat of Novak Djokovic and in a ferocious final.
Despite a fourth Grand Slam final defeat, Zverev can reflect on the best stretch of his career after winning his first major title in Paris and finally cracking the code on Wimbledon’s lawns after never previously going past the fourth round.-Reuters
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