By Shrivathsa Sridhar
LONDON (Reuters) – Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 in a high-octane final to claim his maiden Wimbledon trophy and fourth Grand Slam crown on Sunday, avenging his loss to the Spaniard in last month’s epic French Open final.
The hard-fought win over the two-times defending champion on the famous lawns of London ensured that Sinner became the first Italian to secure a Wimbledon singles title.
“I would like to start with Carlos. An amazing tournament, but mostly thank you for the player you are,” Sinner said.
“It’s so difficult to play against you, but we have an amazing relationship off the court and on the court … keep going, keep pushing.”
The 23-year-old Sinner drew first blood in the first Wimbledon men’s final contested by a pair born in the 2000s, breaking for a 3-2 lead, but Alcaraz clawed back before hitting a spectacular return at full stretch to wrap up the opening set and he celebrated by cupping his ear and soaking up the cheers.
Sinner was gained a break in the opening game of next set and he let out a rare yell of “Let’s go” after winning a point en route to holding in a tight game before surging ahead 3-1 after a brief interruption when a champagne cork flew from the stands and landed on Centre Court.
The top seed shrugged off the distraction and hit a running crosscourt winner to take the second set, before tightening his grip on the contest by unleashing a superb volley at the net to break for 5-4 and then holding in the next game to seal the third set with minimum fuss.
With shadows drifting across the main showcourt that had basked in bright sunshine, Sinner wheeled away to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set as Alcaraz began to display the smallest signs of dejection, and the monk-like world number one held firm from there to complete a famous victory.
“It’s amazing to be in this position,” added Sinner.
“We were talking actually before the match; we would never have thought to be in this position. Back in the days when I was young, this was only a dream, because it was so far away from where I’m from. So I’m just living my dream, it’s amazing.”
“I’d like to thank my team and everyone who came here for this special day. It means so much. You give me so much emotion on and off the court and we try to keep pushing and trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person.”
There was to be no Roland Garros-like resurrection for Alcaraz, who fought back from three match-points down in the Paris finale just 35 days ago, as the Spaniard’s bid to claim three successive All England Club titles was extinguished.
“I’m just really happy and really proud about everything I’m doing,” the 22-year-old Alcaraz said.
“At the beginning of the season, I struggled a little bit on the court, but then suddenly I started to bring joy on the court again and that excitement I have every time I step on the court.
“It’s a great journey so far, which I’m really proud of.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in London; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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