ATP Masters Miami: Jannik Sinner tackles predictability
Jannik Sinner reached the round of 16 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami. Following the two-set success, the South Tyrolean explained which aspects of his game are the focus of his further development.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Mar 28, 2023, 12:19 pm
Jannik Sinner was probably the only player who could really endanger Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells' ATP Masters 1000 event. In round one of the semi-final duel, the South Tyrolean was felt to be the better player, but a few too many mistakes in the tie-break finally meant the outcome to the disadvantage of the Italian. And so high-flyer Alcaraz played their way into the final - and a little later to win the title in the Californian desert.
There could also be a semi-final duel between Alcaraz and Sinner at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami - thanks to a secure two-set win over Grigor Dimitrov, Sinner has bought his ticket for the round of 16. A victory that gives self-confidence: "I'm very satisfied with the way I serve and take off in this tournament. It's not easy to beat a player like Grigor Dimitrov," said Sinner after the success . "It was like a chess game with long rallies."
Sinner would like to become more variable
Dimitrov is a player who is exceptionally good at varying and adapting his game. A facet that Sinner also wants to add to his game. Even if this is associated with an increase in mistakes without need in the short term: "Even if I sometimes make more mistakes than necessary, that's part of my growth, because I'm always trying to try new things and add new variants to my tennis," said Sinner in Miami. "I know I have to do this, it's an investment in my future."
The ultimate goal is to get rid of your own predictability. Because, according to the repeated criticism of players from the Jannik Sinner brand: the younger generation is often extremely good at setting the pace and beating great winners from the baseline. However, this would be to the detriment of the variation in their game. Jannik Sinner sees it similarly: "I have to be a less predictable player, so I try to incorporate new things into my tennis," explained the Italian.
The 21-year-old now faces Russia's Andrey Rublev in the round of 16. A player against whom Sinner again expects a difficult task: "It will be a very demanding game," said the Italian. And it will be a game in which the Italian will certainly have to resort to a few variants again.