2025 Australian Open Men's Final: Yannik Sinner vs. Sascha Zverev

[MargaretMcAleer]

This is a disturbing stat,
Zverev is 1-13 against the Top 5 in Grand Slams
Don and Rob and I were talking earlier that Zverev really needs a new coach, his dad has had his day, mentally he just goes away in big matches, he is too passive, he said in his press conference ' he was not good enough' against Jannik

 

[El Dude]

Quite frankly it will be hard for Jannik to repeat what he did in 2024, so if he does dip I am not going to be over concerned, also we dont know if he will be banned/or for how long his court case is in April.
It was a clinical display of tennis from Jannik in the final, not facing a BP, also defending your title I feel is harder than winning it.

I dunno, I think he can do it - and wouldn't be surprised if he's even better this year. Remember, his overall level last year dipped for like four months. If he can avoid suspension and injury, he has a good chance of equalling--even surpassing--last year.

I don't think he's necessarily better now than he was from Cincinnati on last year, but he's playing at a higher level now than he was for the first two-thirds of 2024.

 

[El Dude]

This is a disturbing stat,
Zverev is 1-13 against the Top 5 in Grand Slams
Don and Rob and I were talking earlier that Zverev really needs a new coach, his dad has had his day, mentally he just goes away in big matches, he is too passive, he said in his press conference ' he was not good enough' against Jannik

He was very humble, saying that while he has a better serve than Jannik, Jannik is better in every other way.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

He was very humble, saying that while he has a better serve than Jannik, Jannik is better in every other way.

He does have a better serve than Jannik, true, Jannik is too good on the baseline for Zverev to go toe to toe with him, quite frankly he ran out of options, he made too many UFE on both wings

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

I dunno, I think he can do it - and wouldn't be surprised if he's even better this year. Remember, his overall level last year dipped for like four months. If he can avoid suspension and injury, he has a good chance of equalling--even surpassing--last year.

I don't think he's necessarily better now than he was from Cincinnati on last year, but he's playing at a higher level now than he was for the first two-thirds of 2024.

I will hold you to that lol! agree he is playing at a higher level now than he was for the first two thirds of 2024

 

[mrzz]

Barring suspension, injury and random off court stuff, it seems Sinner already has one hand in the YE #1. Having said that, I think on clay things are still quite open.

Funny that on a match were Sinner dominated heavily -- against de Minaur -- I had the impression I could see a way to play him, which de Minaur actually tried in the first set, which was to work the angles. Problem was that Sinner played that same game, on got out on top of it. But for a brief period there was a match out there.

I get the feeling that someone pretty good on clay, with a very heavy top spin, could play that way with him, and succeed. Of course, it will take a helluva player to pull that off...

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Barring suspension, injury and random off court stuff, it seems Sinner already has one hand in the YE #1. Having said that, I think on clay things are still quite open.

Funny that on a match were Sinner dominated heavily -- against de Minaur -- I had the impression I could see a way to play him, which de Minaur actually tried in the first set, which was to work the angles. Problem was that Sinner played that same game, on got out on top of it. But for a brief period there was a match out there.

I get the feeling that someone pretty good on clay, with a very heavy top spin, could play that way with him, and succeed. Of course, it will take a helluva player to pull that off...

Actually Mrzz a young Aussie WC Schoolgate took a set of Jannik in his 2nd rd match at the AO, playing lots of angles, getting in his face, and taking time away from him, he had a great transition game to the net as well., the trick is to do this all match, which he could not do.
I still think at this point in time Alacaraz is still the man to beat on clay, in my opinion, unless we see another player 'step up' at RG this year

 

[Jelenafan]

Barring suspension, injury and random off court stuff, it seems Sinner already has one hand in the YE #1. Having said that, I think on clay things are still quite open.

Funny that on a match were Sinner dominated heavily -- against de Minaur -- I had the impression I could see a way to play him, which de Minaur actually tried in the first set, which was to work the angles. Problem was that Sinner played that same game, on got out on top of it. But for a brief period there was a match out there.

I get the feeling that someone pretty good on clay, with a very heavy top spin, could play that way with him, and succeed. Of course, it will take a helluva player to pull that off...

You are not going to “out steady” TPTBS these days, that’s for sure.

It takes an aggressive player with power who will take risks, use angles, change of pace, etc. The player has to take all the risks when the opportunity arises.

Funny how in hindsight the match he was most in danger at in this AO was the R16 with little Holger , early in the 3rd set ( splitting the first 2 sets) little Holger had 5 or 6 breakpoints on TPTBS’s early service games.

 

[Jelenafan]

He was very humble, saying that while he has a better serve than Jannik, Jannik is better in every other way.

Give it a few weeks and he will start grumbling that the officials were to blame for his loss.

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

El Dude,
My husband made an interesting point while watching the final, he said Marcelo Rios was ranked No 1 never won a GS, though he didnt have the longevity of Zverev though.

 

[Vince Evert]

 

[Vince Evert]

I don’t think he’s boring, he’s certainly not exciting either. Except that his excellence is exciting, but let’s say, he’s not dramatic. And that’s the winning thing for him, he’s unfazed by setbacks. He’s steady, and he can handle the occasion. He’s clear minded when he’s under the most extreme pressure. This is all good stuff. He’s no highlight reel, shot-wise, but you need Carlos level of being able to push him out of that comfort zone, to beat him.

In that sense, he’s like Wilander, Lendl, players who can spin a spiders web around an opponent. He’s less emotional/hysterical than Lendl, more intense than Mats. He’s an un-Italian Italian, in that he’s beige, rather than colourful. He’s like camouflage. You never really see him try anything new, but he efficiently drills that gameplan and he takes defeats well, and he handles success. He’s steady. I’d say his coaches love him because he’s obviously a hard worker and ambitious. Tidy, not untidy. A natural in a lot of ways, but very different to the man we think will be his historic rival.

I think Sinner is in for the long haul - but if he gets banned, then no matter what the context to it, the Kyrgios-troll types will get louder and it might affect him eventually. He’s been handling that like a dream so far..

You nailed it right there! No offence to Alexander, but if it was Carlos Alcaraz in the final we would have had a far more competitve four-hour epic. Would have been a dream final as between them, they've split the last 4 Grand Slams in 2024.

 

[mrzz]

El Dude,
My husband made an interesting point while watching the final, he said Marcelo Rios was ranked No 1 never won a GS, though he didnt have the longevity of Zverev though.

Rios is hands down the best non major winner.

 

[Vince Evert]

Rios is hands down the best non major winner.

Also Miloslav Mecir a U S Open and Australian finalist, losing to Lendl both times.

 

[Vince Evert]

Back to back titles for Sinner he never faced a BP all match
Sinner Forza!

And when was the last time that it was done? Player wins a GS final without being down a break-point.

 

[mrzz]

Also Miloslav Mecir a U S Open and Australian finalist, losing to Lendl both times.

Haven't seen him play...

 

[Moxie]

I lost the first two but saw from the third onwards. Not a Zverev specialist but I do feel his game got way more boring after the injury. It was a different player in that match against Nadal.

No, his game has always been just this boring. You can go back and see the highlights of that match, just switch it off as soon as Sasha rolls his ankle. (No one wants to relive that.) He was playing some of the best tennis of his life in that match, and he was having an excellent tournament. But you'll still see him hang behind the baseline. Get passed more often than not when he ventures forward. Footwork never beautiful. His forehand looks good in highlight reels, which don't show how often it breaks down. Yes, he has talents, but a big one is being 6'5" (serve, wingspan) and I don't count that one. He does have a stunning BH, I'll give him that.

He's come back to a very high level, but I thought he might come back from career-threatening injury rather more humble and committed, but he doesn't seem to have that in his character. Which is why I believe he'll never win a Major.

 

[mrzz]

No, his game has always been just this boring. You can go back and see the highlights of that match, just switch it off as soon as Sasha rolls his ankle. (No one wants to relive that.) He was playing some of the best tennis of his life in that match, and he was having an excellent tournament. But you'll still see him hang behind the baseline. Get passed more often than not when he ventures forward. Footwork never beautiful. His forehand looks good in highlight reels, which don't show how often it breaks down. Yes, he has talents, but a big one is being 6'5" (serve, wingspan) and I don't count that one. He does have a stunning BH, I'll give him that.

He's come back to a very high level, but I thought he might come back from career-threatening injury rather more humble and committed, but he doesn't seem to have that in his character. Which is why I believe he'll never win a Major.

You surely recall that particular match way better than I do. But I should have written "before that match against Nadal". Because I do remember some matches were he displayed more... more "blood in his eyes" as we say here in Brazil.

But now that I am thinking of it, maybe his "transformation " into this boring (but efficient) player occurred before the injury. I remember when he was still up and coming, I was watching he playing Murray and I thought "this kid moves pretty well for a big guy, actually he moves well, period". I would have never say that nowadays....

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

And when was the last time that it was done? Player wins a GS final without being down a break-point.

Nadal 2017 USO

 

[MargaretMcAleer]

Also Miloslav Mecir a U S Open and Australian finalist, losing to Lendl both times.

Wasnt he nick named the Big Cat or something similar? Mecir?