Tennis: in the youngest semi-final ever, the 22 year old from Sesto Pusteria defeated in 5 sets (after over 4 hours of battle) by his great Spanish rival. Blue colors in the last act with super Paolini and the doubles.
A bitter ending, but a huge “thank you” that Italy’s sport must extend to Jannik Sinner, capable of playing down to the last point the possibility of winning the second consecutive final at slam level, after the triumph at the Australian Open, really giving in by a whisker in the super challenge with Carlos Alcaraz at Roland Garros.
A first semi-final (this evening there will be a confrontation between Ruud and Zverev for the other pass towards the last act on Sunday) which was another step in the rivalry of the present and future of tennis: the first final in Paris, between the South Tyrolean class of 2001 and the Iberian class of 2003, “Carlitos” takes it after over four intense hours and five sets on a roller coaster.
Jannik won, or rather dominated the first, breaking Alcaraz’s serve three times, losing 6-2, then after the Azzurri’s 2-0 in the second, the Spaniard put in five games in a series and closed at 6-3. In the third, Sinner had the ability to turn the inertia again, escaping until the 6-3, then a truly bitter fourth quarter final, given that the decisive game for the 4-6 in favor of Alcaraz arrived in a daring and with a sensational smash missed by the South Tyrolean.
In the fifth, however, Carlos immediately dominated until closing, after two match points cancelled, for the 6-3 which means the third slam final after the two wins at the US Open 2022 and at Wimbledon last year (the Iberian, at 21 years old, he is the youngest ever to reach the bottom of three slams on three different surfaces).
Sinner consoles himself, indeed, with the rise to number 1 in the world ranking which will become effective on Monday 10 June and, after having recovered physically as best as possible, the boy who grew up on skis and who from the snow of Val Pusteria has become the best in the world with with racket in hand, he will be able to aim for Wimbledon and then for the Olympic gold in Paris 2024, again on the red clay of the French capital.
Meanwhile, Roland Garros 2024 is already one for the history books for Italtennis, given that Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori reached the final in the men’s doubles tournament, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in the women’s and the 28-year-old Tuscan herself in the women’s singles, with “Jas” who on Saturday will challenge the very favorite Iga Swiatek for a dream.
