TENNIS | Alien Sinner deprives Bautista of Miami final

Like an alien from space, from the future, Jannik Sinner countered with poise, resources and shots like coming out of a laser pistol the veteran of Roberto Bautista (32 years) to stand in the final of the 1,000 Masters in Miami with only 19 years. He defeated the Spanish, coming back a set, which says a lot about his cold blood, 5-7, 6-4 and 6-4 in 2:29. The Italian redhead is a danger.

Bautista, 12th in the world and who had the opportunity to return to the top-ten with the title, had just defeated nothing more and nothing less than Daniil Medvedev, the number two in the world, with a brilliant game (6-4 and 6-2). But Sinner (31st), ski champion in his youth like Novak Djokovic and who seems to slide on boards like him, he was not intimidated. He started nervous, and delivered a break from the start, but immediately shook off the pressure to achieve a counterbreak (3-3) and announce that there would be a fight. The Spanish won it in the first set. The man from Castellón was contesting his fourth semi-final in a Masters 1,000 and in Shanghai 2016 he lost the title to Andy Murray. Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Thiem were not allowed to fall at the Hard Rock Stadium this year and the opportunity looked unique. You had to take advantage of it.

FOR A THIRD TITLE

But the transalpine did not give up the towel … in his third participation in a Masters 1,000. What's more, I already knew what it is to win Bautista, because he had achieved it on March 17 in Dubai in three sleeves. It was time to suffer, then. Try to stop the time of a clock that runs in favor of the Italian. The Spanish did not take advantage of four break points in the third set with 3-3 and opened a crack through which the tall Sinner (1.88) entered. He balanced the shock and, with his usual calm, announced that he was going for his third ATP final (the other two were won, Sofia 2020 and Melbourne-1 2021).

For something Nadal chose Sinner to pass quarantine and sharpen his racket before the Australian Open. Learn by leaps and bounds. Also to row. Despite going a break against in the third set, he lifted it with three games in a row and headed for victory. Follow the curse for Spanish tennis in Miami, without any ATP title despite the finals of Nadal (5), Ferrer, Moyá and Bruguera. The future is here. On Sunday (19:00, #Come on), the alien will go out to devour Andrey Rublev (7-5 ​​and 7-6 to Korda) or Hubert Hurkacz (2-6, 6-3 and 6-4 to Tsitsipas). He is hungry.