Jannik Sinner and Daniel Altmaier literally locked horns in the longest match of the French Open. The 5-setter match, which lasted 5 hours and 27 minutes, was ultimately won by Daniel Altmaier. It was a very roller coaster of a match with a topsy-turvy ending, where spectators didn’t know till the last second who could win.
The final score of the Jannik Sinner vs. Daniel Altmaier thriller was 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-7, 7-5. Daniel Altmaier won the match with his fifth match point. Jannik Sinner saved four match points in a brave manner and got ahead in the last game but ultimately succumbed to Altmaier in the fifth. The end was a roller-coaster ride as Jannik was behind in the 5th set with a score of 4-5 and Altmaier serving for the match.
However, Sinner broke the German, tying the fifth set at 5-5. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Jannik Sinner got broken back again very easily in the next game, taking the score to 5-6. Altmaier then served out for the match but won only on his fifth match point.
What might hurt Jannik Sinner a lot in retrospect is the fact that he was ahead in the fourth set. He would have hoped to close the match without getting into the decider. But Altmaier upped the ante and broke him in the 4th set, taking it to the tiebreak. Altmaier won the tiebreak with a score of 7-4. What stood out in the contest was that whatever ball Sinner belted out at the other end of the court, Altmaier had a response to it. Whichever angle Sinner hit the ball from, Altmaier reached it and landed it back on Sinner’s side of the court.
Keep Exploring: WATCH: Daniel Altmaier BREAKS DOWN sobbing inconsolably after biggest career victory over Jannik Sinner at the French Open
Jannik Sinner is blowing his chances at all Majors in 2023
Sinner has lost a lot of 5-setter battles in Grand Slams or 3-setters in ATP events. He lost one of the biggest matches of his career last year to Carlos Alcaraz in the U.S. Open quarterfinal. Both players played at the highest level of their caliber, but Alcaraz took the pie home. Alcaraz eventually went on to win his first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open in 2022.
At the Monte Carlo Masters, Sinner lost to his other biggest rival, Holger Rune. Though Sinner had a great start and took the first set, he fought hard but lost the remaining two to the Dane, who fought right to the end in each set. At Indian Wells, he lost to Alcaraz in the semi-final. Another painful defeat for the Italian came at the Miami Open finals, where Jannik Sinner lost to a relentless Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
There have been other quarterfinal and round of 16 exits that have dampened the momentum of Jannik Sinner. Sinner is touted as one of the next Big 3 to replace Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, along with Carlos Alcaraz and Holger Rune. Hence, the young Italian has a lot riding on him. Though Holger Rune has won several ATP titles and the ATP 1000, Sinner has yet to win an ATP 1000 tournament. Sinner has not been able to deliver on the promise worthy of his talent so far. Tennis admirers would hope to see their favorite Italian win on the big stage.
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