Sinner Grabs Biggest Title In Washington, Takes Out McDonald

by Staff | August 9th, 2021, 12:13 am
  • 9 Comments

Jannik Sinner claimed his biggest career title Sunday winning his first ATP 500 event in Washington where he defeated Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 4-6, 7-5.

“I think there is still much work to do, to be honest,” the 19-year-old Sinner said. “A lot of experience to put in, working hard as we are doing now, and, you know, trying to play important matches, important matches and important moments of a match. Today I think I had a lot of them. I can learn many things about today.”

Sinner, who hadn’t dropped a set all week, took the opener after saving five set points. But McDonald was able to get back on top in the second to force the decider. Sinner misses a chance to serve it out at 5-3 but got it done on the next time of asking to win his third career title.


“I think it’s tough mentally, because I had a lot of chances. I couldn’t use, because first he was playing better in the crucial moments,” Sinner said. “But I tried to work for one more chance and tried to break him like this.”

McDonald was appearing in his first career ATP final.

“Jannik is a great player. Very professional, very young and up-and-coming guy,” McDonald said. “He’s going to win a lot of tournaments.

I’m happy with how I competed, how I played. I feel like I really put everything out there. Maybe could have played a little bit better at times and served a little bit better, in my opinion. But I did everything I could expect of myself, and I’m very happy with the week overall and my progress as a player.”


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9 Comments for Sinner Grabs Biggest Title In Washington, Takes Out McDonald

tennismonger Says:

Really, no comments for a talented, hard-working kid who just won his 1st ATP 500? Or for another hard working chap who came back from injuries to reach his first ATP final?

Tennis-X is turning into Elitist-X. :-(

August 10th, 2021 at 11:01 am


skeezer Says:

TM,
Agreed. I will comment. He deserves a comment. Let’s hope he is the beginning of something special that will take over the domination period of Fedal. Congrats Sinner!

August 10th, 2021 at 12:16 pm


Alison hodge Says:

I’m not quite ready to say goodbye to the old guard as yet, however there are some exciting up and coming players, love Sinner, Thiem, Tsitsy, Shapo, to name but a few….

August 10th, 2021 at 2:50 pm


chrisford1 Says:

Something to take over the 7 years of the Fedal Domination Period of 2004-2010 ? Why, I see by your omission that you think the great newcomers as great as a couple can become, and Sinner is one of the highest talented of them – can match and then take over Fedal in memory…
The omission?
You seem to think the period of Djokovic Domination 11 years now, going on 12, is beyong reach. Thanks for that little observation…

Now, seriously, Sinner, (like all the young talented Russians, fellow Italians, Aussie De Minaur, a few others) – is hard working, focused guy. He has his eyes on the Top tier and getting there fast. The article didn’t mention it, but that win shot him up 9 spots to 15th in Ranking. That ascent was helped by him being a “I can’t get enough tournaments!!” fool in the Covid Era. 41 Tournaments..

August 10th, 2021 at 11:24 pm


chrisford1 Says:

Thanks for shaming us into commenting, tennismonger!

I’ve posted on Sinner before and tracking him ever since I saw the video of that fantastic Juniors Championship he had with De Minaur in 2019.
I might have commented, or passed because I was looking at Rogers scores instead, but when I saw your comment I had to look at the match and how a slug of 500 points helped Sinner in the Rankings.

August 10th, 2021 at 11:33 pm


Alison hodge Says:

Chris Ford 1 I’m excited for the new players, I never mentioned Fedal, or your guy, not everything is about them

August 11th, 2021 at 1:43 am


chrisford1 Says:

Alison, I know you didn’t. I was calling out Skeezer’s not so clever omission of Djokovic in the matter of “dominance” in the last 20 years Your point about the Big 3 fans and at one point, Andy’s fans having the bulk of conversations is accurate.
Most people here at tennis-x as fans or staff see the writing on the wall, Father Time is taking down The Legends, inc. the Williams Sisters, and the process is already well underway. And with the exception of Giles, who really needs to find someone else besides Rafa to root for, for mental health…. people are looking and pretty pleased this is a FAR,FAR better crop of challengers and future greats than the “crops” of past younger players that didn’t show they were near the Big 3 and Andy.
Berdych, Tsonga, del Potro, Raonic, even Roddick and Nishikori would have had more than one, or zero Slams. My Everyman, no one works or practices harder in tennis Hero, David Ferrer, would not be the Best Player Never to get a Slam.
Andy M would have had a lot more than 3. And really, in tennis, you have only 4 stinking guys that have held the #1 spot since 2004, 18 years and Murray is one of them. Unlike Wawrinka who was never a steady Top 5 player, but had a big game that could net him Slams.

For the longest time, a honing process existed, 2007 on until Andy got badly injured and Roger got old – where to get a title did not mean having to beat one good guy, even a Legend – it meant having to beat two superstars along the way many times. Less trophies for one guy or gal, a highly competitive phase means the top players that almost always survive to fight the best in the later rounds just get better and better. And it gets even harder to break into that Top 4, 5.

That is a long-winded way of saying I can see the same highly competitive, free for all, then constant honing and improvement by consistently playing in big matches – coalescing to 4-5 guys that get all the trophies, glory, money, and chicks! (Or in Sasha’s case, a monastery cell unless he can ditch his habit of latching onto unstable supermodels.)
Right now, you have Sinner and 9-11 other guys that besides Thiem, are 26 and younger who have rocketed up the rankings and who will inherit the future. It’s now the free for all phase – 4 or 5 of them will have Slams by 2024. And by the end of 2023, more than one will have become the #1 Player, I believe.
These are the players that were athletes as children, that became directed at tennis and literally grew up watching and wanting to be complete players like the Big 4 idols. They were coached by people inspired by the things they saw in Fed, then Rafa, Novak, Andy….and wanting their players getting the skills, conditioning, and the all important head&heart to win.
It’s really exciting to see and to anticipate!
The sport itself is past due to evolve again.
The uncertainty of things more often than not causes trepidation in people, but this changing of the guard in tennis is going to be another wonderful time for fans. The old gods leave, and all the new faces and glorious possibilities arrive!

August 11th, 2021 at 3:38 pm


Truth Says:

I’m not impressed by Sinner. Kei is done.
If Roddick is playing, he’d be lucky to reach 3rd rounds. Notice that he had to save match point in the few small events that he won because he was such a horrible player. When he had golden chances to win, he lost 3 match points or 4 set points.
The Roddick era was a sham.
He said he pretended that he’d be dominant after winning Montreal over Fed. Clown was a low class, abusive stereotypical fraud. He laughed off his reputation as a bully last night. S c u m.

August 11th, 2021 at 4:20 pm


Django Says:

Roddick!! Wanker along with his coach.

August 12th, 2021 at 12:54 pm

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