Jannik Sinner (Photo Getty Images)
Jannik Sinner scores 50 points. With a good comeback win after a somewhat slow start, the Italian defeated Marcos Giron in the second round of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai 7:6 (7), 6:2, making it the fiftieth success of the season (only Panatta and Barazzutti had enjoyed success in the Open era) and the mathematical certainty of a place in the final in Turin. Jannik started the match a bit unsure, had some problems with the win in Beijing and suffered from the geometric and offensive tennis of the American, who was very effective with his forehand and supported himself perfectly from the Blue’s shots. Sinner needed a few games to loosen up, finding a good feel for the conditions – very different to Beijing, and because of the rain it was played indoors – and the right depth in the strike to overcome the pressing of the rival, who was really very centered. The counterbreak came in the seventh game, on the fifth overall chance, but things picked up again in the tiebreak, where a few errors cost Sinner 3-6. Here Jannik was very good at taking the stage and making it clear on the pitch who the champion is. Coldly and very precisely, he destroyed the first two set points on serve, and then luck helped him for once with a “fatal” tie. He also destroys a fourth set point of strength and closes the first with a fantastic backhand in his favor. Giron is shaken and suffers an instant break early in the second, effectively ending the game.
Congratulations to the American for the good performance. He took the court very confidently and was determined to give it his all with his precise, progressive tennis. Bolstered by a good serving performance and well supported by Sinner’s balls, Giron held the court very well and forced the Italian to chase it and raise his level as he made very few errors in the first set. However, his tennis, although very good, clashed with that of Sinner, who… is ultimately very similar in hitting power, but has a different power, intensity and depth. As soon as Jannik had the best feeling, he ran the ball, took the middle of the field and began to move his rival in turns. There was a clear difference in Sinner’s favor in managing the point, particularly on the backhandwhere Vagnozzi-Cahill’s student often changed pace, noting accelerations along the line that changed the inertia in his favor, as well as beautiful winners.
The backhand shot along the line was the shot that worked best in Sinner’s game today and earned him the most important points, both in the tiebreak and in extra time of the second set. When Giron was in the lead, he got out of control, the cruising speed set by the Blues was too high and even the wasted advantages, especially the 4 set points, put him at a mental disadvantage. In the end it was a good start to the Shanghai tournament for Sinner. In the first part of the season, after a good success, he was a shadow in the following tournament, he was afraid of this game and said so in the recent interview published two days ago. This victory opens a third round with Beaz, a tie that has become a little more open given the heavy and unexpected defeat suffered by Zverev.
Qualification for the final is now assured, but collecting more points remains valuable. Finishing the year as No. 4 in the world would be a deserved and important prize and opens very interesting scenarios for 2024. In general, winning a win is very useful for consolidating new certainties, both technical and mental solidity.
Marco Mazzoni
The news
Sinner shoots poorly out of the blocks, gives up his first serve from 30-0 to the first break point. Giron presses well with his forehand, drives the game forward at a good pace and takes advantage of a Jannik foul at the beginning. The third game is a battle, Sinner has a counter break point to the advantage, but makes a serious mistake in response, Marcos just takes a 3-0 lead. Finally the Blue gets into the rhythm with the serve, wins the second serve to zero and in return pushes hard to make it 1-3. Giron feels the pressure from the blue, first he misses a forehand, then he has to accept a great reaction from Sinner that gives him 15-40 and two more break points. Giron plays well, geometric tennis is on the rise, saves again to make it 4:1. Missed chances aside, however, the Beijing champion picked up the pace and in the seventh game he finally broke the break on the second opportunity (and fifth overall) with a sublime long-line backhand winner that left the American immobilized. 4-3, we are “on serve” again. The set flows through the serving layers, Giron doesn’t let up or slip, and Sinner also makes it safely on the way to the tiebreak. The first to give up a point is Jannik, a forehand that would have led to victory goes out by millimeters, 2:1 Giron. The Californian was perfect with his serve and forehand, 4:1 Giron. Sinner also manages his two points well, 3-4. The American gets a great point, commands it and then finishes on the fly, then a mistake from Jannik Giron makes it 6-3, three set points. He destroys the first two with the Sinner serve, 5-6. With a very lucky bow, Jannik gets the 6 points. With a beautiful forehand, the Blues destroy a fourth set point (7 all). Cold and precise, Sinner takes the first set point at 8-7 with a perfect inside-out forehand and finishes with a winning return along the backhand line that leaves the 30-year-old from Thousand Oaks alone. 77% of the first balls on the field and 13 winning goals for Jannik, who managed well to catch up with the handicap at the start and also came back in the tiebreak, destroying 4 set points.
Sinner starts the second set with serve, an excellent game, he can run with his head, while in Giron’s head a very negative film is running, with the missed opportunities in the first set. Jannik is deadly with his backhand, overturns the American’s pressing with a great line shot and Marcos can no longer find the first ball. Sinner flies 0-30, and with a perfect longline forehand from the left corner he finds the winner from 0-40, three break points. The first one is enough: he pushes like a madman and pounces on a ball that deflects off the tape, with a backhander along an uncatchable line. Break Sinner, 2:0 and serve. The advantage doesn’t last long, the Blues have a small deficit, including a double fault, concede a 15-40 and make a mistake on the second break ball, 2-1. Jannik immediately finds his best rhythm, reacts very deeply, great pressing and flies 0-40. Due to a serious mistake in the smash, Giron again lost his serve to zero, 3:1 for Sinner, who then managed to consolidate the lead with 4:1. The set runs without shocks in the service games. Giron finds some great shots, but it is the Blues who control the game and win 3 out of 4 points with the first ball. With the score at 5:2, Giron overdoes the attack and is behind 15:30. With a great backhand down the line, Jannik grabs the point of 15-40 and two match points. With another sensational, jumping backhand return on Marcos’ second shot, Sinner finishes with the exclamation point. An excellent Giron who was really good at pushing and commanding at the start, but Sinner’s recovery was great. Cold, certainly even in the negative phases. He moves on to the third round where he finds Baez.
[6] Jannik Sinner 
against Marcos Giron 
ATP Shanghai
Jannik Sinner [6]7
6
Marcos Giron6
2
Winner: Sinner
Tennis statistics: Sinner vs Giron
Sinners against Giron
| statistics | sinner | Giron |
|---|---|---|
| ACES | 2 | 2 |
| DOUBLE MISTAKES | 2 | 2 |
| FIRST SERVE | 43/61 (70%) | 44/78 (56%) |
| 1. Service points won | 34/43 (79%) | 31/44 (70%) |
| 2. Service points won | 10/18 (56%) | 10/34 (29%) |
| BREAKPOINTS SAVED | 1/3 (33%) | 4/8 (50%) |
| SERVICE GAMES PLAYED | 10 | 10 |
| RETURN RATING | 190 | 152 |
| 1ST SERVE RETURN POINTS WON | 13/44 (30%) | 9/43 (21%) |
| 2nd serve, return points won | 24/34 (71%) | 8/18 (44%) |
| BREAK POINTS CONVERTED | 4/8 (50%) | 2/3 (67%) |
| RETURN GAMES PLAYED | 10 | 10 |
| NET POINTS WON | 20/25 (80%) | 6/12 (50%) |
| WINNER | 25 | 15 |
| UNUSED ERRORS | 11 | 12 |
| SERVICE POINTS WON | 44/61 (72%) | 41/78 (53%) |
| RETURN POINTS WON | 37/78 (47%) | 17/61 (28%) |
| TOTAL POINTS WON | 81/139 (58%) | 58/139 (42%) |
| MAXIMUM SPEED | 211 km/h 131 miles per hour |
207 km/h 128 miles per hour |
| 1. IS AVERAGE SPEED | 194 km/h 120 miles per hour |
181 km/h 112 miles per hour |
| 2nd place offers medium speed | 161 km/h 100 miles per hour |
141 km/h 87 miles per hour |
