Defeating Djokovic, Sinner entered the Roland Garros final for the first time

(Dan Tri) - Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) in a dramatic semi-final match in the early morning of June 7 in Paris. The Italian player will compete for the championship trophy with Carlos Alcaraz.

ROLAND GARROS FINAL SCHEDULE

Jannik Sinner - Carlos Alcaraz (8 p.m., June 8)

Sinner won a convincing three-set victory in a high-profile clay-court clash with Djokovic. With his superior power and precision from the baseline and his powerful serve, Sinner overwhelmed the three-time defending champion Djokovic, setting up his first Grand Slam final against his great rival Carlos Alcaraz.

Speaking after the match, Sinner could not hide his joy: "This is a special occasion for me, to play Djokovic in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam. It's great, I have to go and play the best tennis I can. I'm happy with the way I handled the situation, but this shows once again what a role model he is for all of us and especially for the young players."

“What Djokovic is doing is incredible and I wish him the best for the rest of the season. I think we are all very lucky to see him playing tennis at such a high level, it's fantastic," Sinner added.

Sinner appeared in the Roland Garros final for the first time (Photo: Getty).

Despite the seemingly one-sided scoreline, Sinner and Djokovic's first clay court meeting since 2021 was not without its tense moments. Djokovic, a record 24-time Grand Slam champion, produced a number of high-profile plays. However, the 38-year-old missed three crucial set points on return at 5-4 in the third set and was ultimately unable to prevent Sinner from winning in a quick three-setter.

Sunday night's thrilling final between Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, and Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning Roland Garros and Wimbledon champion, will go down in history as the first Grand Slam men's singles final between two players born in the 2000s. Alcaraz advanced after Lorenzo Musetti retired in the quarterfinals with the Spaniard leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0, 2-0.

Sinner, who trailed 1-4 in his previous meetings with Djokovic, now leads 5-4. The Italian enters the final against Alcaraz with an 18-1 record this season, including his second Australian Open title in January. However, Alcaraz will have the psychological advantage, having won his last four tournament meetings with Sinner, including last month's Rome final.

“Djokovic has achieved a lot. He is the best player in the history of our sport and to play with him here is amazing. Of course I try not to think about it, but before you go on court you feel nervous and you feel what is against you. I always try to prepare myself in the best way possible and be prepared for every situation on the court,” Sinner said.

“I’m very happy that we did it today and of course Sunday will be difficult. My record against Carlos hasn’t been good recently, so let’s see what I can do. I’m very happy to be in the final,” he added.

Djokovic plays in the Roland Garros semi-final against Sinner (Photo: Getty).

In their first clay-court meeting since 2021, Sinner dominated the opening serve to put Djokovic under pressure, dropping just three points on serve in the opening set. Sinner earned his first break of the match in the fifth game with some typically sharp returns and although Djokovic then avoided losing serve again by saving two break points to hold at 2-4, the Serb was unable to make any chances in the return games.

Djokovic frequently used the drop shot to try to disrupt Sinner's rhythm, but the plan proved far less effective than in his quarter-final win over Alexander Zverev.

Djokovic continued his good play in the second set, winning a thrilling 26-shot rally in the second game, then flashing a big smile as the crowd cheered. The Serb went 45 consecutive games without breaking Sinner until the Italian then served out the second set at 5-4. Although Djokovic eventually broke his opponent, Sinner quickly won the two games he needed to take a two-set lead.

Djokovic talks with the referee on the field (Photo: Getty).

Djokovic began to show signs of a potential leg problem in the second set and was forced to take a medical break before the third. The Serb played well thereafter, but after he blew three set points at 4-5, Sinner seized the opportunity to win with a solid performance in the tie-break. The Italian finished with 44 winners to Djokovic's 35.

Asked if he had time to enjoy the victory before thinking about the final, Sinner said: “Of course I enjoy these moments. I think they are very rare and special moments. Tomorrow we have a day off, when we will try to prepare for the match but again, I am very happy. This is a very special place for me.”

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/danh-bai-djokovic-sinner-lan-dau-vao-chung-ket-roland-garros-20250607064057557.htm