MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Defending champion Jannik Sinner has taken the first set 6-3 in the Australian Open final against Alexander Zverev.
Sinner broke Zverev's serve in the eighth game Sunday and then served out, closing with an ace.
It's the first men’s final between the players ranked No. 1 and No. 2 at Melbourne Park since Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in 2019.
The top-seeded Sinner is a 23-year-old from Italy who is aiming to become the youngest man to win two consecutive trophies at Melbourne Park since Jim Courier in 1992 and 1993. Sinner also won the U.S. Open last September, shortly after being exonerated in a doping case that is still not entirely resolved.
Sinner is attempting to become the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.
Sinner enters Sunday on a 20-match winning streak that dates to late last season.
The second-seeded Zverev is a 27-year-old from Germany who is seeking his first Grand Slam title. He is 0-2 in previous major finals and lost both in five sets.
Zverev advanced to the final when Djokovic quit playing after the first set of their semifinal on Friday because of a torn muscle in his left leg. Djokovic, who was booed by some spectators as he left Rod Laver Arena, posted a photo of his hamstring's MRI on social media early Sunday, with the caption: “Thought I’d leave this here for all the sports injury ‘experts’ out there.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
http://accesswdun.com/article/2025/1/1282966