Sinner performs brilliantly in Rotterdam
Jannik Sinner, winner of the Australian Open, won his first title in Rotterdam on Sunday, dismantling the persistent defense of Australian Alex De Minaur to win 7-5, 6-4 in a high-quality match.
The victory took the Italian's unbeaten streak to 15 matches and allowed him to reach 3rd in the world rankings, a record.
"We did a very good job a few weeks ago and now we've done a very, very good job here," Sinner said, referring to his triumph at the Australian Open.
"I'm really proud of my level of play throughout this week. We have been in a difficult situation but we managed it in the right way," he added.
De Minaur, seeded number 5, had never beaten Sinner in six previous attempts, but went into the match full-throttle and held his own against his opponent from the opening exchanges.
The consistency and power of Sinner's game from both sides eventually broke down De Minaur's defense and the Italian broke serve at 2-2 after breath-taking rallies.
De Minaur regained his serve in the 10th game, after saving two set points with remarkable recoveries.
A lengthy rally at the end of the game left Sinner gasping for breath after diving for a volley in an attempt to intercept a powerful backhand from his opponent.
Sinner quickly regained his confidence and secured his own break points in the following game, converting the second as De Minaur carelessly allowed a volley to fall in that landed on the baseline.
Serving a second time for the set, Sinner made no mistake this time, closing out the set to the delight of the ecstatic crowd in Rotterdam.
"It's very difficult to play against you. It's better when we're on the same side in doubles," joked Sinner.
De Minaur's run to the final included a thrilling semi-final against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, which he described as his "best match on the circuit."
"I jokingly asked him if he was going to lose a match this year. He's playing at an incredible level and it's just too good. I'll get you back next time!" De Minaur declared.
De Minaur said he had taken "another big step in the right direction" and promised to "fight for bigger and better things."
Sinner's path to the final was serene, with veteran Canadian Milos Raonic, troubled with injuries, retiring early in the second set in the quarter-finals, and then a comfortable win over local Tallon Griekspoor in the semi-finals.
Rotterdam 
As a laboratory for tomorrow’s tennis, does the Next Gen Masters have a future? 
Tennis: the little-known truths about the offseason, between rest, stress and physical survival 
What if tennis lost its soul? The case of robotized officiating, between tradition and a dehumanized modernity 
Features - Saudi Arabia, injuries, war, and business: the fascinating underbelly of tennis revealed by TennisTemple 
