Italian
At the Internazionali di Roma, an Italian double victory: Jannik Sinner wins 6-4 6-4 against Casper Ruud, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori triumph in doubles
ROME – Last year, Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani thought about dyeing it blue at the Internazionali BNL di Roma, this year it was Jannik Sinner and the duo Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori who achieved the double in singles and doubles. A historic double success: never before had an Italian pair won on the red clay of the Foro Italico, and it had been exactly 50 years since an Italian had succeeded in singles.
The last to succeed was Adriano Panatta, ready to reward and crown someone who is no longer even his heir, having shattered every existing record.
The first to take the court were the two Italians facing the Spaniard Marcel Granollers and the Argentine Horacio Zeballos. A pair that has two Slams won last year in their trophy cabinet. Yet, the Roman support was definitely felt, and the Italians managed the not easy feat of defeating their opponents 7-6(8), 6-7(3) 10-3.
Even greater is Sinner’s achievement as at just 24 years old he secures the only Master 1000 title that was missing, thus completing the Career Golden Masters. Just to give an idea, the only one to achieve this was Djokovic at 31 years old. The records for the boy from San Candido don’t end here.
Sinner has won the last six 1000 consecutively, bringing his winning matches to 34, an incredible result that could improve even further.
Meanwhile, the South Tyrolean is now aiming directly for the Roland Garros, the only Slam missing from his collection, and with Alcaraz out due to injury, he could easily surpass 100 weeks at number 1 in the ATP Ranking. Something unthinkable for an Italian just four years ago.
Yet we are only at the beginning.
Photo Tullio Puglia/FITP
