Fist raised, and a racket hit in the stands of Carpena. Celebrate Italy, smile at Jannik, who continues to work to complete an excellent year with Davis. Triumph after triumph. One more from another Salad Bowl, the second in a row. “I-ta-lia,” Carpena bellows, even though the message might well include the name of today’s fittest tennis player. Jannik Sinner.
The sinner is merciless. Even more on hard ground. Always find a loophole that your rival doesn’t cover. And if there isn’t one, we make it. It doesn’t matter if the ball deflects over the net, you’re forced to hit the ball early, or your opponent sends you a game-winning goal in the corner. It reaches every corner with its plasticity.
He’s the king of speed. He signed his tyranny on the fastest surface on the circuit. In chronological order. Australian Open, Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, Us Open, Shanghai, ATP Finals, and he is about to follow the same result in Davis Cup. Holland is your final obstacle for the speed king. His reign extends when you look at his track record. 16 of the 18 trophies that rest in its display case were won on hard courts.
He feels comfortable on a surface that nourishes your tennis. Powerful serve and punishing forehand. His strikes also gain intensity as the point develops. Their record is 185 victories and 49 defeats. He also surprises indoors with a 73-21.
The Tyranny of the Sinner on Hard Ground
What is surprising about his game is not his game itself, but the speed at which he plays it. Compete at a different speed than the rest of the rackets. Only an excellent version of Alcaraz is capable of matching. No tennis player has been able to win five matches in a single set since Shanghai, about two months ago.
Your year has been unbeatable, only masked by Clostebola banned anabolic steroid for which he tested double positive in March and which still torments him and for which a definitive solution has not yet been found. He was contaminated because his former physiotherapist gave him a massage without wearing gloves and he was already contaminated.
“I had a moment of total darkness. It was difficult and still is. I know I didn’t do anything wrong, that I always followed the rules. I know I didn’t do anything wrongthat I have always respected the rules. And I am calm. I’ve already had three auditions and all three have worked out in my favor, so I’m going to collaborate and work. He will look to dispel it with another Salad Bowl in his favorite song.
Spain suffers at Carpena
Unlike Sinner, Spanish tennis players do not benefit from surface speed, even though they play at sea altitude. Yes, for example, to Dutch lesseesBotic van de Zandschulp and especially Tallon Griekspoor, rival of Nadal and Alcaraz respectively. The first won 90% of matches played with his serve. The second, 80%.
Spain does not have players whose inside surface is their fetish. Only Alcaraz, who stands out thanks to his verve and his talent, not because he is a specialist in difficult situations. “It is obvious that if we had played on land, the result would have been different. I think playing on clay we had a much better chance of winning the draw,” he told OKDIARIO. Feliciano Lopezdirector of the Davis Cup Final 8 tournament sponsored by Lexus.
The Davis Cup surface was changed in 2016, when the organization requested a 20% faster track. Spain, yearning for a slower pitch, where the ball could bounce higher, was unable to adapt to the pitch as best it could. “It was special when the host could choose the surface to play on. The new format has changed our choice, although I think it will change next year. The first two matches will be played at home and away, so we will come back to this slightly more special atmosphere of the Davis Cup. Not only us, but all countries,” Granollers said in an interview with this newspaper.
