Jannik Sinner signaled his intent to dominate the hard-court season on Saturday, delivering a masterclass in his opening match at the Miami Open. The Italian sensation cruised past Damir Dzumhur with a clinical 6-3, 6-3 victory, moving one step closer to completing the prestigious “Sunshine Double.” Having already triumphed at Indian Wells last weekend, Sinner is looking to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to sweep both elite U.S. tournaments in a single year.
The world number two was untouchable against the 76th-ranked Dzumhur, utilizing his trademark blistering groundstrokes and an improved net game, where he won 14 of 17 points. This victory marks a significant return to South Florida for Sinner, who missed last year’s event. His form is currently record-breaking; Saturday’s win was his 12th consecutive victory at the Masters 1000 level. Furthermore, he has now won 24 consecutive sets in these tournaments, tying a historic record held by Novak Djokovic.
“I’m happy with today’s performance,” Sinner remarked after the match, noting that the lower bounce on the Miami courts perfectly suits his aggressive style. He will have the chance to stand alone in the record books when he faces Corentin Moutet on Monday.
Elsewhere in the draw, the heavyweights faced varying degrees of resistance. Daniil Medvedev had to dig deep to overcome 19-year-old Japanese wildcard Rei Sakamoto in a three-set battle, while Alexander Zverev enjoyed a more straightforward path by defeating Martin Damm. However, it wasn’t a perfect day for the seeds, as American favorite Ben Shelton was stunned by Alexander Shevchenko in a tight three-set thriller.
With Sinner playing the best tennis of his career, do you think anyone in the current draw has the weapons to stop him from completing the Sunshine Double?
