Alcaraz and Sinner in world of their own as US Open final completes slam trilogy
Spaniard won in Paris, Italian took the title at Wimbledon.Part three in New York could be another classicOn a tranquil evening in Manhattan last week, Carlos Alcaraz was making his exit from an Italian restaurant with his sizeable support team when he unexpectedly found himself staring at a familiar face.There was Jannik Sinner, quietly enjoying his own dinner.This was the second occasion during the US Open Alcaraz and Sinner just so happened to be dining at the same restaurant at the same time.Neither player could hide their amusement as they greeted each other warmly.
Considering the frequency of their meetings it would not be unreasonable if they were starting to get sick of each other: “On court we like to see each other, because it means that considering our ranking, we are doing well in the tournament,” said Sinner.” Off court we bump into each other at times.I don’t know if we are happy or not.”There is at least one more meeting to come in New York.The first US Open final of their rivalry also represents a historic moment.
It is the first time in the Open era that two men have faced each other in three grand slam finals in one season, and in consecutive major tournaments.It also marks their fifth consecutive final, their most recent meeting coming in Cincinnati last month, when Sinner retired trailing 5-0 due to illness.As if the stakes are not already high enough, Sinner’s ranking is also on the line.If Alcaraz wins, he will replace the Italian as the world No 1.Not only are they so much better than the rest, but the gap is widening.
While the Alcaraz-Sinner era had long been under way, with the two splitting all four major titles between them in 2024, until June they had not faced each other in a grand slam final,After they faced each other in the final of the Italian Open, Sinner’s comeback tournament from his three-month doping ban, a rematch at the French Open seemed likely,At Wimbledon, it was difficult to envision anything other than another final between them,By the US Open, though, while they had six matches to win and the difficulty of navigating a grand slam draw should never be underestimated, this final seemed inevitable barring injury,It has made for an odd tournament over the past few weeks, with so much anticipation of this match from the first round.
A month after Alcaraz demonstrated his peerless ability to produce his best in the most difficult moments by plotting one of the greatest comebacks of all time at Roland Garros, Sinner’s revenge win at Wimbledon broke a run of five victories for Alcaraz and showed Sinner a blueprint for success.The Italian suffocated Alcaraz with his destructive, relentless ball-striking off both wings.He also served well and kept Alcaraz’s offensive return position at bay by injecting more pace into his second serve.The Spaniard admitted he had been outplayed.He did not have enough time on the ball to disrupt Sinner’s game.
It is for this reason that, although grass courts are supposed to be Alcaraz’s turf in this rivalry and Sinner has begun an era of dominance on the surface, Alcaraz may come to prefer facing Sinner on a medium-hard court.In addition to having slightly more time on the ball, this surface aids his kick-serve and the heavy topspin on his forehand, which are essential to his aim of constantly varying the trajectory of the ball to disrupt Sinner.At Wimbledon, under such suffocating pressure on the baseline, Alcaraz’s serve let him down.In New York, his improved serve has been one of the key reasons why he has been able to roll through the field, reaching a grand slam final without dropping a set for the first time.It is obvious he will need to serve extremely well against the most effective returner in the game.
Every match is an opportunity to adjust and it remains to be seen what Alcaraz has learned from his most recent defeat,Three years on from Alcaraz’s 2:50am, five-set win over Sinner after saving a match point, an instant classic that positioned this rivalry as the future of the sport, the pair will close that circle in New York,As they walk down the tunnel and on to the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it is worth sparing a thought for others,After years of being punching bags for Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer it was believed the demise of the big three would lead to a transitional era where, at least for a short time, many more would have the chance to win the biggest titles,Instead, two new legends have emerged and though they are adversaries on the court they have also conspired to ensure nobody else has a chance.
England 47-7 Australia: Women’s Rugby World Cup – rugby union as it happened
Sarah Rendell’s match report has landed so I’ll take my leave.England were good enough, without being brilliant. And Australia held on to avoid a shock group stage exit.It’s wasn’t pretty. Both teams gave away plenty of ball
England outlast Australia to book Rugby World Cup quarter-final against Scotland
Tense. Gripping. A proper Test match. Australia put England under the most pressure they have faced in a long time with a superb first-half performance but the Red Roses pulled away in the second half to seal top spot and a quarter-final against Scotland.The victory was also England’s 30th in a row, equalling their own world record set at the last World Cup
USA thrash Samoa in 10-try rout as World Cup quarter-final spot hangs in balance
There was only one thing on the agenda in York on Saturday afternoon: points. The reality was always going to be that the United States would pick up a first win of the tournament and inflict a third straight defeat on Samoa. That was never really up for debate.But it was always going to be about how many points the Eagles could rack up to pile the pressure on Australia later in the day. Nobody really knew what would be enough
Alcaraz and Sinner in world of their own as US Open final completes slam trilogy
Spaniard won in Paris, Italian took the title at Wimbledon. Part three in New York could be another classicOn a tranquil evening in Manhattan last week, Carlos Alcaraz was making his exit from an Italian restaurant with his sizeable support team when he unexpectedly found himself staring at a familiar face. There was Jannik Sinner, quietly enjoying his own dinner. This was the second occasion during the US Open Alcaraz and Sinner just so happened to be dining at the same restaurant at the same time. Neither player could hide their amusement as they greeted each other warmly
Max Verstappen qualifies in pole position for Italian Grand Prix ahead of Lando Norris – as it happened
That’ll do from me. Giles Richards is in Monza and has filed his post-qualifying report:Here’s the confirmed grid for the Italian Grand Prix, with Hamilton’s five-place penalty and Hadjar starting from the pit lane:The starting grid for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix 👀#F1 #ItalianGP pic.twitter.com/OLuKiAUhH0Verstappen speaks to TV:On qualifying: “Q3 felt good, happy with the laps and to be on pole here is fantastic. The car has been working well here the whole weekend and to be able to fight for pole I’m very happy
Max Verstappen pips Norris for Italian Grand Prix pole with fastest F1 lap
The beaming grin on Max Verstappen’s face showed what claiming pole position for the Italian Grand Prix meant to him and his Red Bull team. As records fell in a blur of speed at Monza, the world champion was perhaps the most unlikely victor after an impossibly tight contest.The transformation since the 2024 Italian GP could not have been more stark. Over a tumultuous 12 months Verstappen has clung on to seal his fourth title last season, seen long-term Red Bull team principal Christian Horner be sacked and the team comprehensively out-paced by McLaren. Here, they at last found a sweet spot that has been sorely lacking
Want wines with attitude? Look to the Jura
Back to school, work, reality: what to eat now summer is over
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for potatoes, onions and green beans | A kitchen in Rome
Sweeteners can harm cognitive health equivalent to 1.6 years of ageing, study finds
Berries are back! Australia’s best-value fruit and veg for September
Cheap, healthy, sustainable and delicious – why mussels are a no-brainer