By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Sunday March 24, 2024
Jannik Sinner battled back from a set down against Tallon Griekspoor to improve to 19-1 overall in 2024.
Jannik Sinner is all about progress and process, and as he continues to push his way up the ATP rankings in this his finest season, it is his adherence to constant evolution that propels him further forward.
His 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory over Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday at the Miami Open is the latest example of just how steady he can be in the face of constant pressure. As Griekspoor played lights out tennis and took a set lead into the dressing room when showers intervened, there was no panic in second-seeded Sinner’s head.
“I had some chances also in the first set. He handled it better than I did,” Sinner said of his early deficit. “The second set, I tried to stay a little bit more aggressive. I started off also feeling a little bit better. Then the rain came. After, it changed a little bit. Really happy how I handled the situation on the court.”
Sinner entered Sunday’s tussle with a 3-0 record against Griekspoor and zero sets dropped in those encounters, but he was still relatively unfazed when his opponent took the opening set from him and continued to press in the second.
Sinner patiently waited for an opening and slid through the window in the final game of the second set. From there he never looked back as he finished the match by winning eight of the final nine games – a recipe on how to break open a close match and confidently ride to the finish line.
“I just tried to stay mentally strong, and that's it,” Sinner said matter-of-factly.
When you’re hot, you’re hot.
Arnaldi and Machac Join Sinner in fourth round
The lower half of the men's singles draw at the Miami Open will be finished with its third round matches at the end of Sunday – weather permitting – and Sinner’s compatriot Matteo Arnaldi has already reached the round of 16. Arnaldi defeated Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 7-6(7), and will face Tomas Machac next.
Machac won an epic encounter with Andy Murray, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6(5).
It was a dramatic encounter that saw Murray rally from 5-2 down in the third, saving a match point at 5-6 to force a tiebreak. The 36-year-old also had an injury scare after holding for 5-5, and it looked like he might be done for the day, but he came back to full strength after trainers looked at his left ankle during a medical timeout.
In the end it was Machac who held his nerve. The 23-year-old won the final four points of the tiebreak to prevail in three hours and 28 minutes, and saved 13 of the 15 break points he faced.
Machac is into the round of 16 at a Masters 1000 for the first time, while Murray has not reached the round of 16 at Miami since 2015
36-year-old Murray was given a warm sendoff in what might have been his last ever match at Miami, a place where he has won two titles.