Sinner Sinner chicken dinner! Italian maestro does it again

Jannik Sinner has become just the fourth man to successfully defend his Australian Open title in the 21st century after a clinical three-set win over Alexander Zverev.

Having won 20 straight matches and dropping just two sets all tournament, Sinner was once again a class above in a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 win at Melbourne Park on Sunday night.

Just three other men – Andre Agassi, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer – have defended the Australian Open men’s singles crown this century.

He also became the first player since Djokovic in 2016 to win three successive hard-court grand slams with Federer the only other man to complete that feat in the Open era.

For Zverev, so long the tour’s nearly man, a wait for a Grand Slam title continues with the 27-year-old now having lost the final of the Australian, French and US Opens.

For much of the match between the world No.1 and No.2, it was a close-run affair with both men rifling down powerful first serves and finding some great winners.

And yet Sinner was always in control, working the baseline and finding the perfect moment to come forward to never allow Zverev a look-in not offering up a single break-point in the match on the back of a ridiculous 85 per cent conversion off first serves.

Zverev fought hard saving eight break points but the two Sinner won was all the Italian needed to become the youngest back-to-back winner since Jim Courrier in 1992-93.

Little wonder why Zverev, sensing his latest opportunity slipping away, smashed his racquet in anguish after losing the second-set tiebreaker to fall two sets behind on Sunday night.

Even worse for Zverev, Sinner was seen clutching his left hamstring late in the second set of the first Open final pitting the world’s top two players against each other since 2019.

The German must have known he’d have been a chance had he extended the final to at least four sets.

Alas, Sinner breaking Zverev for a second time in the sixth game proved the beginning of the end.

Showing no let-up, Sinner served out the match in two hours and 42 minutes to also join Federer (Wimbledon 2003 against Mark Philippoussis) and Rafael Nadal (US Open 2017) as only the third man this century to win a grand slam final without even offering up a solitary break-point chance.

The triumphant Sinner paid a touch tribute to his Australian super-coach Darren Cahill and the rest of his entourage after announcing mid-tournament this would be their last Open working together.

“We worked a lot to be again in this position. It’s an amazing feeling to share this moment with all of you,” the champion said.

“I know also a part of the team is at home and my family and everyone, but it is amazing to achieve these things, but mostly to share this with you guys.

“And I know Darren, I tried to convince you (to stay on but) it’s your last Australian Open as a coach, and I’m very, very happy to share this trophy with you.”

But while the 23-year-old marched relentlessly halfway towards completing a Djokovic-like rare non-calendar-year grand slam sweep with his latest success, Sinner’s participation in the next major remains in doubt.

The world No.1 faces a potential ban of at least one year when he fronts the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland April for alleged doping.

The World Anti Doping Authority is challenging a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency not to suspend Sinner for what the TIA deemed to be accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March.

That closed-doors hearing will take place in Lausanne on April 16-17, casting a cloud over Sinner’s immediate future – and his quest for more grand slam spoils in 2025 and possibly 2026.