New Delhi, 16 March (H.S.): Italy's Jannik Sinner clinched his maiden Indian Wells title on Sunday, overpowering Russia's Daniil Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in a gripping California desert final to etch his name alongside tennis immortals Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Sinner dominated with 28 winners, 10 aces, and a perfect 8/8 record at net, maintaining supremacy throughout the tiebreak-decided sets. This victory catapults him into history as the third player—and first since 1990—to claim all six ATP Masters 1000 hard-court crowns without dropping a set in consecutive tournaments, extending his Masters unbeaten streak to 11 matches from Paris last year.
Medvedev surged aggressively in the first set to 6-5, only for Sinner to force and win the tiebreak 8-6 with precision. The second saw Sinner break flawlessly at 3-2, but Medvedev leveled at 6-6; from 0-4 down in the decider, Sinner reeled off seven straight points to triumph 7-4. I kept believing, pushing my shots, and aimed to end it before a third set, Sinner reflected post-match.
Medvedev's campaign shone, highlighted by upsetting world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in semis to snap his 16-match streak, though this marked his third Indian Wells final loss. Sinner's season-opening triumph underscores his hard-court mastery, cementing his ascent among the sport's elite.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
