Otherwise, though, Tumaini Carayol’s report is with us:
So all that remains is for me to wish you all peace and love. Peace and love!
Before we say goodbye, though, look at what we’re bringing you this evening!
So that’s Wimbledon done for another year and, as every year, what a year it’s been, with upsets, epics and fun all over the show. If anyone’s any idea what we can do tomorrow, let me know – OK, I don’t mean that, we’ve got the Test to comfort us and assuage our grief – but otherwise we’re almost done here.
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Sinner poses for photos, enjoying the moment – though I wonder if relief is the predominant emotion. Either way, his victory is what the game needed – as Andy Roddick noted of his matches against Roger Federer, a rivalry is only a rivalry if both players win titles. I can’t wait to see where this goes next, as both men contemplate how to improve themselves and how to pick apart the other.
Sinner, the first Italian to win Wimbledon, begins with Alcaraz, praising an amazing tournament “and for the player you are”. He too kvels in the joy of their friendship, adding that he’ll win more of these and already has two.
“It’s so special,” he says, seeing his parents, his brother and his team, adding that his brother is only in attendance because there’s no F1 race this weekend.
Asked about what he’s put himself through to win this trophy, his admits that emotionally, it’s been a lot, following his tough loss in Paris, but ultimately it doesn’t matter how you win or lose, you have to accept the result and work out what you did wrong. He and his team did that, which is one of the reasons he’s now holding the trophy. He’s grateful that he’s heatlhy and has great people around him.
Otherwise, he says he served out the last game very well having survived tough moments in his previous service game, and he’s very happy he held his nerve. Then, asked about the champagne cork that landed near him, he laughs that only at Wimbledon could that happen, which is why we all love it.
Back in the days when he was young, he never thought he could get to this moment, “the dream of the dream” – that’s a lovely turn of phrase – and in conclusion, he again thanks his team and everyone who came out for this special occasion. They give him so any emotions and he keeps pushing, trying to become a better tennis player but mostly a better person.”
Finally, he thanks the ball kids and the fans, then off he goes, the new Wimbledon champion. He and Alcara are very different characters and players, opposites in many way, and yet it’s impossible not to love them both, united by the rare and inspiring quality of their absolute menschlichkeit.
“It’s hard to lose,” says Alcaraz, experiencing the aching desolation for the first time in a major final. So he congratulates Sinner with a huge smile, saying his opponent and team deserve it. He’s happy for him, tells him to keep it going, and he’s happy to build a great relationship off the court as well as on it, that pushes him to improve every day.
Otherwise, he’s really proud of everything he’s doing. At the start of the season he struggled on the court but suddenly he rediscovered himself and the happiness he has on the court, thanking his family and pledging to “keep bringing joy.”
He loves playing at Wimbledon, he loves the “insane” atmosphere, and he’ll be back. Finally, he thanks the King of Spain for coming to support him, and off he goes.
Alcaraz comes to collect his runners-up trophy, raising it to cheers from the crowd. He wins well, and he also loses well – his parents must be so proud of the boy they’ve raised. And now it’s Sinner’s go – he receives the trophy from Kate and of the seven billion people in the world, he ranks no 1 for current happiness.
Alcaraz played poorly today, but I’m sure he’ll acknowledge he was also out-played and out-thought. Sinner gave him less of what he wanted, taking away much of what he does best, and he couldn’t work out how to combat him. Now it’s the Spaniard’s turn to re-evaluate and find a tweak; I can’t wait to see what he comes back with.
Sinner slumps on to his haunches, slapping the grass to let out all the pain and frustration that’s lived with him every day since Paris. Now, it is part of the richness of his life – without that, would he have this? He races up to his box, sharing moments with his family and team – they’ll have been with him through the suffering, will have sacrificed in the hope that one day, they might enjoy exactly what they’re enjoying now. Sinner now knows he can win on grass, against Alcaraz; Alcaraz now knows he can lose finals, to Sinner; we’ve always known these two were going to give us many, many days like this.
Jannik Sinner (1) beats Carlos Alcaraz (2) 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 to win Wimbledon for the first time
So far, this match has been a triumph for Sinner’s mentality, strategy and execution; can he hold it down? Alcaraz shanks a forehand wide for 15-0, then big serve facilitates a backhand winner for 30-o; the world no 1 is two points away. He seizes the first with two terrific volleys in succession, Alcaraz sprinting and sliding in desperation, and Sinner has three match points; he’s been here before! We’ve all been here before! Can he land a first serve? He cannot, and when he nets a backhand, he’ll be feeling the weight of the desolation, past and future. But what counts is the moment; can he stay in it? YOU BET HE CAN! AN ACE DOWN THE T AND JANNIK SINNER WINS WIMBLEDON FOR THE FIRST TIME! WHAT A PERFORMANCE, AND WHAT A MOMENT AFTER EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED IN PARIS! A beautiful affirming moment after who knows how many long nights of the soul! Sport!
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Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 5-4 Alcaraz* Sinner won’t want the pressure of serving for the championship if he can avoid it, and a gigantic forehand earns him 15-all, but another falls long; 30-15. But a battery of ferocious forehands takes him two points away from inexplicable, indescribable ecstasy at 30-all … then Alcaraz serves out his hold, noising up the crowd as he seeks to get himself in the frame of mind he needs to save himself with a break. The players sit down and Sinner has a few second to pretend the enormity of the situation is a lie. Good luck with that, old mate.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 5-3 Alcaraz Alcaraz has two more chances to save himself and his dream of joining Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as men who’ve won Wimbledon three times in a row. He’ll know he may never get another go at this, or at least anyone normal would; on reflection, there’s a pretty good chance he doesn’t. Anyroad up, he makes 0-15 then, at 15-all,Sinner frames a forehand; in front of his eyes pass the words ROLAND GARROS, his world swimming just a touch. And when he goes long again, this time on the backhand, Alcaraz has two break-back points, suddenly back in the match, and I’ve no idea how Sinner can even raise his arms, the most desperate match of his life threatening to reincarnate. But a well-directed second serve, kicking out wide, surprises the champ, who can’t control his return – the clarity of Sinner’s thinking under pressure is perhaps the key difference in this final – and when Alcaraz strays long, we move to deuce. Was that his chance? Perhaps! Sinner steps inside the line, unloading the suitcase on a backhand that forces a long riposte, and a second serve down the T, high-kicking and just about unreturnable, ends a fantstic game. Sinner is an absolute brute, and he’s a game away from the win of his life redeeming the loss of his life; what a life!
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Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 4-3 Alcaraz* Sinner may be over what happened in Paris, but it seems unlikely it’s on all of our minds, but totally absent from his. Nevertheless he’s playing with such confidence now, like he knows he’s going to win and, in the process, steal from us our five-set thriller; how dare he. And at 30-all on the Alcaraz serve, he’s trying to get it done quickly, only to net a forehand when well in the rally; a beautiful serve-volley point from the champ secures the game, the crowd increasingly febrile. What is at stake is at stake, and for Sinner to win, he’ll have to reconcile that fact with his sense of self: he should win, but he might lose.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 4-2 Alcaraz Sinner won’t be thinking about much more than the next point, but if he could win here, he’d change the complexion of men’s tennis and his career; currently, Alcaraz is 5-0 from finals, and until he loses one, no one will fully believe it to be possible. Shonuff, he makes 0-15 … only to wham a forehand into the tape after unleashing a decent return, a costly and unnecessary error in the circumstances that evidences the champ’s state of mind and game. An ace follows, then a cunning body-serve on second delivery – at the moment, almost every decision he’s making is the right decision – but he soon drops long on the backhand, then serves long, upping the tension … then, at 40-30, he sticks a forehand into the tape … and the ball clambers over and drops like a stone! Alcraaz feels the world is against him, and he’s running out of opportunities to remind it who he is.
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Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-2 Alcaraz* No one enjoys a tennis match more than Alcaraz, his game suffused with compelling, affirming, contagious joy. But he’s not enjoying his performance today, apparently mystified by his inability to execute as he usually does. For that, though, he can only blame his opponent – Sinner has grown as the match has deepened, two terrific points turning 40-0 into 40-30; the champ can’t work out what’s going wrong, nor can he do the basics to his usual standard. A netted backhand underlines the problem, and at deuce momentum feels inexorable, regardless of who takes this game. And it’s Sinner who’s the protagonist in the next rally, hammering a forehand marginally long; from there, Alcaraz secures his hold, but he’s having to fight for everything while the game is coming easily to the world no 1. But as long as he’s only one break down, he’s still in the match.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 3-1 Alcaraz Sinner, though, is under no illusions – Rasputaraz can come back from any position, and no one knows it better and more agonisingly than he does. But he’s flying here, you so confident in his movements, thinking with clarity and executing with bravery, conviction and purpose. He consolidates his break for 3-1 … which means any subsequent loss wold sting even harder. The stakes area stratospheric, how will our players respond?
Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 2-1 Alcaraz* At 15-0, a double invites Sinner into the game while, in comms, they lament the disappearnace of his slice backhand, all the more so given how well it worked for Dimitrov when he played Sinner, the low bounce denying him the height he needs to unleash. And an error hands over 15-30, Alcaraz restoring parity with a booming forehand … but then the ball bounces up when he’s forced to play with too much elevation, Sinner annihilating a backhand winner for break point and, offered a go at a second serve … HE CARESSES A GORGEOUS BACKHAND RETURN DOWN THE LINE! Jannik Sinner is out-thinking the champ here, denying him what he does well, and he’s four holds away from the title!
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*Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 1-1 Alcaraz Sinner quickly makes 30-0, and from there he holds to love. He’s serving and hitting with authority now, executing his skills are planned; Alcaraz is still searching, the match not going as he planned. A third consecutive title feels a way away.
Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 0-1 Alcaraz* How many more of these matches are we going to see over the next decade? We’re trying to live in the moment, but in acknowledging the beauty of it, we’re necessarily forced to consider its lasting significance, enjoyment uplifted by anticipation. At 15-all, Alcaraz outlasts Sinner from the back, moving him about as we discussed at the start but as has perhaps been forgetten in the maelstrom of the match – the champ has played as he likes, more than as is prudent. He secures his hold, and might it be that, down in the match, he is now dialled-in in a way he hasn’t yet been today?
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Jannik Sinner wins the third set 6-4 to lead Carlos Alcaraz 2-1
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 6-4 Alcaraz At 15-all, a double ratchets the tension up several more levels; an ace tamps it down a little. Another fine point – big serve, wide forehand, overhead – makes 40-15 and two set points, Sinner’s even ultraer-aggressive approach paying dividends … and he closes out the set with a service winner! He’s a set away from redeeming his French Open heart-devastation with Wimbledon glory!
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Sinner 4-6 6-4 5-4 Alcaraz* An ace at 0-15 levels the game, but a return on to the baseline forces Alcaraz to balloon his riposte long; naturally, an ace restores parity at 30-all. But a fantastic return, backhand down the line, allows the clean-up backhand at net, and Sinner has break point; these are the days of his life … and he makes them his, nailing a return on second serve, then finishing into the space as Alcaraz drops his response short. Sinner has the break and after a little sit-down will serve for the third set! Sat in his seat, Alacraz chunters to himself – he’s not playing well here. Welcome to under the pump, population You.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 4-4 Alcaraz Not if Sinner keeps playing points like this, directing Alcaraz about the court and this time dispatching his overhead. And though a netted backhand levels the game, Alcaraz then picks a drop with the point at his mercy, allowing sinner to clobber a forehand on to the outermost fibre of the sideline; sometimes, you can have too many options. And Alcaraz quickly forgets his oversight, a drop-lob combo-move making 30-all, and now he has a look at a second serve … for the all the good it does him, a swinger out wide leaping off the grass for an ace. This might be the aspect of the game that’s improved most in the last year or two, and to underline the point, another ace, this time achieved in the more accustomed first-delivery manner, secures a vital hold. We’re at the business end of set three, the tension near-sickening.
Sinner 4-6 6-4 3-4 Alcaraz* Up 30-0, Alcaraz lands a serve on to the line and Sinner can’t get it back; an ace curled on to the T follows, and that was exactly the kind of the hold the champ needed; can he convert the good vibes into the kind of streak that’ll give him a breaking opportunity?
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 3-3 Alcaraz After another partly-forced error gives Alcaraz 15-all, an ace restores Sinner’s advantage … but he then bangs a forehand wide, upping the tension at 30-all. Then, at 40-30, the Italian finds himself caught at net after picking Alcaraz’s side with a putaway; he responds with a tweener, up goes the lob … and he clouts his overhead unnecessarily hard and wide. That, mates, is pressure, doing too much to make sure … so Sinner gathers and, I short order, closes out his hold. The standard remains variable, the intensity stratospheric.
Sinner 4-6 6-4 2-3 Alcaraz* A longer rally to open the game, Sinner netting a forehand for 0-15. But a drop into the net suggests Alcaraz is struggling for clarity as he sometimes he does; a forehand that falls wide for 30-all does too. Chance for Sinner, who then gets great depth on return … only to go long from the back when well in the rally. That’s a missed opportunity, though it’s worth noting that the athleticism and presence of Alcaraz on the other side of the net can make what, against anyone else, would be an unforced error, into one that’s partially forced. From there, the champ closes out, and it feels like the next few games will decide this match. If Sinner takes the set, he’s favourite; if Alcaraz does, you’d not bet on him losing two on the spin with the title at stake.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 2-2 Alcaraz An unreturned serve makes 15-0 and Sinner shakes racket at his box – he believes he can do this, and knows how important this set is. From there, he closes out a love hold, removing the pressure from himself and placing it upon Alcaraz in little more than a minute.
Sinner 4-6 6-4 1-2 Alcaraz* A forehand cross, hit flat and wide, again turns Alcaraz’s strength against him – he wants to be hitting his own forehand from the middle, not from out in the stands. But though the champ soon makes 30-15, a backhand drops long for 30-all, and this feels like Sinner’s chance: he needs to cash in when in the ascendancy. But in this game, he cannot, Alcaraz securing his hold, and this match continues to stutter, of far lower standard than the final in Paris. But fear not, friends – we’ve time.
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 1-1 Alcaraz If Alcaraz wins this set, you’ll fancy him to close it out; if Sinner does, you still might, which would make no difference to anything save for the fact the players will probably understand things in the same way. My sense is that it’s Sinner currently playing the better tennis, and he secures an impressive hold to 15, sealed with an ace then a terrifying forehand winner.
Sinner 4-6 6-4 0-1 Alcaraz* Unusually for players this insanely driven and talented, we’re not getting periods of one in the ascendancy, we’re getting points. Which makes it so difficult to predict what’s going to happen next, but why would we even want to when we can just enjoy? Meantime, Alcaraz – who, let’s not forget was broken in the first game of set two, perhaps losing focus after the relief of winning it – finds himself down 0-30, and he’ll be fearing a repeat performance. All the more so when, at 15-30, he sends down a tame double … then saves break point no 1 with an ace down the T … and no 2 when a Sinner forehand goes long; the Italian will be disappointed he didn’t make more of the second serve offered him. From there, Alcaraz serves out the game, putting an exclamation mark on things with an ace; can he parlay his opponent’s disappointment into something more tangible?
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Jannik Sinner wins the second set 6-4 to level the match at 1-1
*Sinner 4-6 6-4 Alcaraz This is a proper test of nerve for Sinner, and we can be sure Alcaraz will look to exploit that by making him play. But just as it looks like the first point of the game is his, a backhand down the line forcing Sinner to stretch eveything just to get the ball back, the follow-up drop, when a whack into space would do,and allows the Italian to charge in and flick back a winner; fantastic behaviour. And though we’re soon at 15-all, Sinner goes wide on the second serve then finds the thump he needs to force it home, and when Alcaraz turns up the volume with a forehand to the corner, Sinner responds with an absolute humdinger, cleansed hard and flat down the line! That is wondrous, but on 40-15 he’s sent nashing off to the sideline … only to conjure a table-tennis winner cross-court to break the sideline! That is absolutely absurd conduct from Sinner; he didn’t take that set, he seized it.
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Sinner 4-6 5-4 Alcaraz* A high-kicker out wide … and ace. Alcaraz has so much variety on serve, so much that so another of the same genre, but on second delivery, also leaps away from Sinner for an ace. And though, at 40-0, a drop can’t quite clamber over the tape, another ace, sent jumping out wide, forces the Italian to serve for the set. If he can manage it, he’s in business; if he cannot, you’ll fear for him.
*Sinner 4-6 5-3 Alcaraz A love hold for Sinner, and he’s a game away from the second set.
Sinner 4-6 4-3 Alcaraz* Alcaraz is holding the easier now, but at 40-0 a poor drop allows Sinner in to feed a backhand pass into the corner. And when another ball catches the line expectedly, he forces the error for 40-30 and a double brings us to deuce. If this is Alcaraz losing concentration, as sometimes he does, this is Sinner’s cue to jump on him, and when a double donates advantage he has a chance to near-enough secure the second set … only to net a backhand return when handed a second serve. And from there, an ace and a service winner box off the game; if the Italian wants to level the match, he’ll have to do it himself, parity won’t be presented to him.
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*Sinner 4-6 4-2 Alcaraz A drop into the net hands Sinner 15-0, but at 15-all he runs around his backhand only to drop long. He does, though, soon make 30-all, a service winner raises game point, and a felicitous net cord turns a poor shot into a winner. The apology is moving in its sincerity.
“Since you’re asking,” says Richard Hirst, “1969, a free concert in Parliament Hill Fields, with Soft Machine, Procul Harum, Yes (before even their first album) and others. Also the summer I went to Wimbledon (note the impressive linking) for the one and only time: Centre Court to see Pancho Gonzalez against Charlie Pasarell in what was at the time the longest match at Wimbledon.”
My school sports day was there, the teachers grassed me to my parents for enjoying a Dunhill International in the bushes.
Sinner 4-6 3-2 Alcaraz* Words we’ve not required for a while: a love hold. Alcaraz isn’t playing especially well, but if the match is a longun, you get the sense he will at some point and in the meantime, he leads.
*Sinner 4-6 3-1 Alcaraz There were signs of improvement but for now, it remains the case that neither man is at it, Sinner dominating a point before netting his putaway for 30-all; pressure. Alcaraz, though, relieves it for him by hitting long … but Sinner then butchers a forehand with the point all but won and ewe move to deuce. A break-back here would mean more than itself, the champ reminding the challenger that he can take him when not at his best, but Sinner makes advantage, after which a pause; “Please do not pop a champagne cork just as the players are preparing to serve,” intones the umpire as one lands on the court; it reminds me of the time I asked a friend “please don’t be sick on my computer” in terms of things you never think you’ll have to say. Anyway, though Alcaraz restores deuce, from there Sinner’s serve takes over, and he remains in command of set two.
Sinner 4-6 2-1 Alcaraz* So far, this match is more about unforced errors than brilliant shots; both players are some way off their best. Which is the time Sinner, as the man whose brilliant best is slightly less brilliant, needs to take advantage … and he makes 0-30, only to then lose a net exchange and botch a pass; 30-all. From there, Alcaraz holds courtesy of two gigantic serves, doing enough to stay in touch in the set.
*Sinner 4-6 2-0 Alcaraz Have a look! At 15-all, Alcaraz breaks the wrists on a backhand as Sinner comes in, spiriting a winner cross-court; slowly, we might be hitting levels. As I type, though, at 30-all Sinner tries a wrong-footing backhand with plenty of space to hit, but looking for precision, he strays wide and must now face break-back point; he saves it via service winner and closes out from there, punching the air in celebration. He knows how important that was, for his state of mind as much as for the score.
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Sinner 4-6 1-0 Alcaraz* Sinner will be feeling very, very poorly, his gizzard leaping and stomping through his throat. But he quickly makes 0-30, an error from Alcaraz hands him 0-40, and these are crucial moments coming up – if Sinner can’t break, the hit to his confidence will feel immense, the champ allowing him a start then upping it beyond his reach when it becomes a problem. And Alcaraz saves the first, then the second when Sinner again slips in pursuit of a drop. But the Italian then goes after a 140mph serve, delivering a far better return than seemed possible and, into the rally, his opponent falters first, looping a forehand long. My days, Sinner needed that.
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Carlos Alcaraz wins the first set against Jannik Sinner 6-4
*Sinner 4-6 Alcaraz Between games, we’re encouraged to turn the sound up and just listen to purity of the ball-striking; it’s a gorgeous, hollow, percussive zing-thump. But Sinner then overhits a backhand … only for Alcaraz to do likewise, just. Right decision, imperfect execution. A service winner follows, making 30-15, but then coming in for a simple +1, Sinner hesitates, perhaps not expecting the ball to come back, and he loops a terrible effort long; the champ is two points away from the first set. And when Sinner slips trying to push off in search of a beautifully-disguised drop, the ball is tapped into the space and, at 30-40, he’s set-point down. Can he respond? Er, just about, a body second-serve cramping Alcaraz, who nets a ball you nevertheless expect him to make; to deuce we go ... whereupon a double donates advantage, the challenger faltering at the crucial moment. But he plays a fantastic next point, dominating from the back, and though Alcaraz switches momentum with a forehand hooked to the corner, the response, down the line into the space, is decisive … NO IT IS NOT! Somehow, the ludicrous magician stretches, hangs out a racket, and controls what I suppose we must call a drop, zonimg over the net to secure the first set in a moment of magic so symbolic it feels made up. Alcaraz holds a hand to his ear, the crowd go wild, and it’ll take something to come back from that. How is he even real?
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Sinner 4-5 Alcaraz* Sinner marches in to dispatch a forehand winner for 15-all; again, he is not waiting to be asked, and the first double of the match ups the tension. But down 15-30, Alcaraz finds a service winner, nails his next delivery out wide then cleans up at net, and an ace seals a crucial hold. Again, Alcaraz does what he needs when he really needs to do it, and if he can get a few returns in or a look at a second delivery or two, he’ll put Sinner under some pressure as he serves to stay in the set.
*Sinner 4-4 Alcaraz Alcaraz is struggling to make an impression on return, Sinner’s targeting of his forehand taking the backhand slice – which sets up so many of his best plays – out of the equation. At 15-0, a drop is followed by a gorgeous volley which levels the game, then we have the kind of rally of which we’ve not yet seen much but expect to see plenty, thrashing from the back until Sinner errs with the 18th stroke of the exchange; at 15-30, the chance has a sniff and when a backhand drops long, he has two chances to break back. And he only needs one, Sinner slapping a backhand into the net, and he’ll be really disappointed with how easily he ceded the advantage.
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Sinner 4-3 Alcaraz* Up 15-0, Alcaraz overhits a forehand, but a service-winner restores his advantage in the game, then he plays perhaps his best point so far twice running around his forehand to punish shots to the corner. And though the drop with which he seeks to finish the next rally sits up, Sinner sends his pick-up wide, so the gap is back down to one… but can Alcaraz find a break back?
*Sinner 4-2 Alcaraz You get the sense that Sinner, though he knows he can be caught, will have to win this from the front. He quickly makes 30-0, but then slaps a forehand cross wide; he looks to be targeting Alcaraz’s forehand, looking to turn the strength against him by putting it under pressure and deciding when it should be in the game. But another error means we’re at 30-all, and these are key points coming up; Sinner takers the first by doling out an industrial helping of own medicine, a drop hauling Alcaraz to net, and though the get is great – he’s so, so quick to anticipate and to move – the volley is well despatched, an ace follows, and the break is endorsed.
“Like Joe Pearson,” begins Rob Lewis, “I also saw the band Spirit at about the same time, but at Kingston University (then Kingston Poly). They were led by the amazingly named Randy California, later to be drowned and supposedly eaten by a mudshark when saving his 12-year-old son in Hawaii.”
Sinner 3-2 Alcaraz* More like it. Sinner nails a backhand on to the sideline, securing the first 0-15 of the match with a deft volley. Then, at 15-all, Sinner comes in when a ball lands short … only to find himself stranded by an excellent backhand pass down the line. But his aggression continues; he again comes in off a short ball to make 40-30, and we wind up at deuce then, sent wide to return, Alcaraz nets when he shouldn’t; the first break point of the final goes to Sinner, who gets a look at a second serve, lands a backhand on to the line, and Alcaraz strays long! The Italian lands the first significant striker, and we now know his gameplan: aggression.
“I was talking to Todd Woodbridge the other day,” says Coach Calv. |”He’s won the men’s doubles nine times and a mixed once. More titles (singles and doubles) there than any other man. He’s also told me won every doubles title there that a male can win, men’s, mixed, juniors and vets. Said he tried to become a member so he could win the club champs as well but they won’t let him.”
As we said earlier, sportsfolk are built differently
*Sinner 2-2 Alcaraz In comms, Tood Woodbridge reckons both players are a little early on the ball, snatching at things because they’re nervous. And that makes perfect sense – we’ve yet to see much in the way of rallies or winners, exchanges ended by errors before they’ve a chance to develop. Sinner holds to love, and we’re still in the phoney war stage.
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Sinner 1-2 Alcaraz* A lovely measured forehand, coaxed inside-out into the corner, makes 15-0, an unreturned serve 30-0. Alcaraz has started the better and more confident player, but consecutive errors turn a straightforward hold into something less convincing … then a monstrous first serve secures the game.
*Sinner 1-1 Alcaraz Having elected to receive, there’s pressure on Sinner, and when he nets a backhand for 15-all, he’ll be cognisant of that. Alcaraz, though, helps him out by swatting a forehand long, and we see a shot of Andre Agassi, whose commentary so enriched his semi with Fritz. Sinner then nails an ace for 40-15, but when he overhits, at 40-30 his opponent has a sniff … so his unleashes a high-kicking service-winner down the middle and we’re level at a game apiece.
The offending cardigan:
Sinner 0-1 Alcaraz* (*denotes server) Alcaraz opens up with an ace down the T and a service winner follows. Sinner then nets a backhand, goes long with another, and a love hold is secure.
First set, Carloz Alcaraz to serve. Ready … play.
Sinner won the toss and, as Alcaraz tends to do so perhaps because Alcaraz tends to do, he opts to receive.
“Since you brought it up,” begins Joe Pearson, “my first concert was 54 years ago. It was Spirit supported by Rastus. Spirit was touring the classic ‘Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus’, but I mainly went to see Rastus, a horn band in the mould of Chicago, but cooler, and quite popular at the time throughout the Midwest.”
Ambrose and the players pose for photos, then they pose just the two of them, and this is one of the fiercest friendly rivalries I’ve ever seen, needle completely absent.
Ah this is lovely. Ambrose Caldecott, an 11-year-old boy with bone cancer, comes out to a rapturous reception and will take charge of the coin toss. Godspeed, old mate.
Our players move through the clubhouse, past the portraits, down the stairs, past the portraits. The enormity of the situation is inescapable and Sinner tries to force a smile across his face, reminding himself he’s just a bloke doing his thing and there’s nothing unusual going on here. He stands in front, as the challenger; behind him, the champ bounces … then the doors open, the move under the Kipling quotation, and out they come! The scene is glorious.
Er, all bets are off. Carlos Alcaraz is wearing a … cardigan?
I take back everything I ever said or felt.
Both men, of course, had a match earlier in the competition that they might’ve lost – Alcaraz, playing poorly, almost lost to Fabio Fognini in round one, while, in round four, Sinner was showing no signs of coming back when two sets down to Grigor Dimitrov, only to be saved by a torn right pec. Both moved on as if nothing untoward happened, which tells us plenty about the mentalities of these two freaks of nature.
On the face of things, the music of Black Sherif has little to do with the Wimbledon men’s final. But both he and it are in the business of spreading joy and love, so please allow me to advise that, last week, I enjoyed the ridiculous privilege of watching Blacko perform live.
I went to my first gig – REM and Radiohead, now that you ask – 30 years ago this summer, and I’ve seen a bit since then, so please feel free to believe me when I say I’ve never, ever, seen a crowd respond to an act they way this one responded to that one. If there’s a better recording artist in the world, I’m not familiar with him, her or them, and if there’s been a better album this year than Iron Boy, I’ve not heard it.
But don’t take my word for any of this – here’s your Blacko starter pack, by way of definitive playlist.
Oh man, we’re nearly there. This is colossal.
It’s funny, really – we all seem to be agreed that this match-up is ridiculously close, yet do we all also seem agreed that Alcaraz will win?
Meantime, Mac tells us he still thinks about losing the 1984 French Open final to Ivan Lendl from two sets up, so it seems unlikely that Sinner has put away that which happened just last month. Iguess the question is not whether it’s on his mind now, but whether it mithers him once he’s on the court.
One thing these two have in common: Coach Calv messaged me after seeing both for the first time, saying he’d seen something special. Others of whom that is so: Francis Tiafoe, Felix Auger-Aliassime and João Fonseca; fantastic juniors don’t always train on.
“All the indicators point to Alcaraz,” reckons Gregory Phillips, “but only marginally. He has the psychological edge from his comeback at the French and the surface advantage given he’s the two-time defending champion. Sinner has the ruthless consistency, but Alcaraz has the game-changing brilliance. What a joy to get to watch this.”
What I most enjoy, or at least what I’m most enjoying this second, is the security of it: for the next decade, these boys have got us.
“Fritz was asked to compare the two after the semi-final,” writes Kerrith Britland. “He said something along the lines of Sinner is more predictable but a more consistently big ball striker, while Alcaraz has more access to angles but can go massive too.
While I think the RG loss would’ve been tough to swallow for Sinner, I don’t think he expected to do as well as he did after the three months out and against Alcaraz on his favoured surface. I reckon he wants this one bad though. With that Dimitrov bullet dodged, Sinner might think the powers that be are on his side today.
Enough from this arm-chair analyst ... what’s your tactical take on this one?”
These days, Wimbledon grass isn’t that dissimilar from a hard court, and I expect Sinner to play as though that’s the case. He’ll structure poionts to get his forehand going and look to unleash it, down the line in particular whenever he can. Alcaraz, meanwhile, will hope to keep the Italian moving, forcing him to hit on the run and from outside the tramlines, while hauling him into the net whenever possible. I think Alcaraz will do it because he can make Sinner uncomfortable; I’m not sure the same is so in reverse.
Updated
“It was 1990, I think,” begins Krishnamoorthy V. “It was a double Sunday bonanza: Edberg - Becker followed by the World Cup final. We had assembled in our friend’s home. A friend who was not interested much in sports, and who had cone primarily for food and entertainment, said ‘Let anyone win so long as it is five sets’. I never understood him, till today. This is exactly how I feel.”
We learnt recently that Becker was struggling with a sleeping pill situation, which is why he lost the first two sets so convincingly – that feels unlikely today. But yup, I guess in individual sports, people – generally speaking – are less partial about who wins, and more partial about their desire to see something beautiful. We could not be in better hands.
Veronica Kudermetova and Elise Mertens (8) beats Jelena Ostapenko and Hsieh Su-wei (4) 3-6 6-2 6-4
A fantastic win in a belter of a match for the pair who only started playing together again recently. For the winners, ecstasy; for the losers, desolation.
Updated
“SinAraz or AlcaSin, says Mohammad Feroze. “SinAraz sounds like a prison and AlcaSin sounds like a medicine.”
SinCaraz?
For my part, I’d back Alcaraz on the surfaces that move underfoot – grass and clay – and Sinner on more predictable hards. But there’s so little between them that whoever plays closer to their best is likely to be the determining factor and, given his game has less about it that can go wrong, it’s tempting to fancy Sinner. But it’s hard to back Alcaraz to lose a major final when he’s won five from five; if he gets in front, he’ll be very difficult to stop, and if he’s behind, there’s always the sense he can come back.
Back to our match, Coach Calv Betton messages in wiIth his breakdown: “It’s not a tactical battle between those two, it’s ball striking. They’ll both try and hit the ball hard. There isn’t much nuance. Occasionally, they’ll both do something different to mix it up – a drop shot, a serve-volley. And someone will make out that it’s a pre-planned strategy to break the other guy down. It’s not. It will just be random and nothing’s really changed since the French Open so I don’t see it playing out differently.”
We’re scheduled to get going at 4pm, but on court currently we’ve the women’s doubles final; Ostapenko and Hsieh lead Kudermetova and Mertens 4-2 in the third.
Email! “The rivalry to rival Fedal – now we have SinAraz or AlcaSin. Hopefully these two will give us a banger of a five-setter. Too close to call but I’ve a feeling Carlos will hit the hat-trick of SW19 wins This could be emotional and physical carnage for the players and fans. Enjoy it.”
It’s funny isn’t it – these two have only played one major final against each other, yet no one could say with any certainty when there might next be one they’re not in. The difference between them and the rest is monumental, the difference between them is marginal.
Also going on:
Preamble
We all lie to ourselves all the time, inventing stories to make ourselves look better or look worse, feel better or feel worse; to explain the haphazard chaos we call life.
Sportsfolk, though, have turned this routine into an art. How else could they perform fine motor skills, under pressure and exhausted, in front of a crowd offering feedback in real time?
Consequently, when we hear Jannik Sinner say he’s over losing the French Open final, from two sets and three match-points up, we can sort of believe him. As the psychological axiom has it – an antidote to so many of the grudges, injustices and disappointments we let needlessly weigh us down – “that was then and this is now.”
But as Sinner prepares to meet Carlos Alcaraz again, are we seriously to believe the scarring has no impact? That his first Wimbledon final, facing the man who crushed his dreams in Paris, is just another match, irrelevant to anything which precedes it?
Because what to us is narrative, to Sinner is pain – and a problem to be solved. Against everyone else, he’s dominating almost all of the time; against Alcaraz, he’s lost five times in a row. If the key to stopping him isn’t to be found in their previous contests, does it even exist?
Sinner will argue the answer lies with him, not with his opponent. The margins are thin, so if he can impose his considerable strengths at the crucial moments – if he can perform those fine motor skills, under pressure and exhausted – it shouldn’t matter what his opponent does.
This is a clever way of looking at the world – we have no control over others, so all we can really do is deliver the best of ourselves and hope for the best – all the more so when confronted by an arch improvisor like Alcaraz. Often, even he won’t know what he’s going to do until he’s done it so, rather than predict him, it makes more sense to rush, hamper and crowd him.
The problem Sinner has is there’s a fervency about Alcaraz that is almost religious. He has no sense of his own fallibility, convinced by the mystical power of his own talent and creativity – with good reason. He knows he can win Wimbledon, he knows he can beat Sinner on the biggest occasion and he knows he cannot lose a grand slam final; he knows he is Carlos Alcaraz, who makes the impossible possible. Which is, of course, a lie he tells himself, but it is a lie which is true; that was then and that is now.
Meantime, the rest of us can simply look forward to a match-up that is already one of the classics. The Roland Garros final was one of the greatest ever, in any sport, and nothing about these two, as individuals and as rivals, suggests they won’t invent another epic story to elevate the haphazard chaos we call life.
Play: 4pm BST
