Jannik Sinner details battle in debut and reveals search for ideal rhythm on Wimbledon grass court
Tennis player Jannik Sinner downplayed his below-expected performance in his first Wimbledon match, where he faced Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic. The current champion declared that he needs more matches to reach the appropriate rhythm and show his best tennis on the grass surface.
The Italian athlete also calmed the fans regarding a slip that occurred in the fifth game of the third set, stating that incidents like this are common on grass. Despite starting at a disadvantage, the world ranking leader prevailed over his opponent with scores of 4/6, 6/3, 6/7 (6-8), 6/2 and 6/3, in a contest that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes.
“I still need a few games to find my best rhythm on this court,” acknowledged Sinner. The statement gains context when it is noted that he did not participate in any preparatory tournament before Wimbledon, having only one performance on grass, with a victory over the British Cameron Norrie at the Hurlingham Club, which explains the need for more time on the court to adapt. In the next phase, the Italian will face Portuguese Nuno Borges.
Happy with the victory, the Italian highlighted the excitement of returning to the All England Club. “It’s difficult to describe. The sensations I had here last year were very special and returning to open the Central Court program was incredible”, emphasized Sinner.
He added about the intensity of the moment, expressing happiness at having found a way to win the match. “This was an incredible day for me. It’s a feeling that is worth experiencing at least once in your life,” added the tennis player.
Regarding the fall incident, the main favorite pondered. “A fall is always worrying because you can get hurt, but that’s the most normal thing on grass. Especially in the first few matches, when the grass is still new and you slip a little more”, he explained, mentioning that he was lucky, as “things can go wrong very, very quickly”.
“The most important thing was to continue trusting my movement”, highlighted Sinner. He highlighted that, in the third, fourth and fifth sets, it was crucial to keep moving naturally, and that was exactly what he did during the match.
“We did a lot of prevention work before the tournament because we knew this type of situation could happen,” revealed the 24-year-old athlete. “The most important thing is to put this episode behind us. I can’t play scared. On this surface, it just doesn’t work,” Sinner summed up.
Regarding the difficult clash against Kecmanovic, the world number 1 praised his opponent’s tactics. “I had my opportunities in the third set and I couldn’t take advantage of them. He got some big points in the tiebreak, it was his credit,” commented Sinner.
“He is a very good player on any surface, but especially on grass, because he hits very straight. Today his serve followed by his first ball was very strong. Even when I returned well, he managed to play a great first ball”, analyzed the Italian about his opponent.
Sinner praised his ability to recover after being behind on the scoreboard on two occasions. “I tried to recover as quickly as possible. In the first games of the fourth set, it was very important to confirm the serve, because, if you suffer a break right away, it is very difficult to react. I tried to stay mentally strong to take advantage of the moment”, assessed the tennis player.
