Wimbledon 2024: No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner downs Yannick Hanfmann to win opener in four sets – ‘No better place to play’ – Eurosport

No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner opened his 2024 Wimbledon account with a hard-fought win over Yannick Hanfmann.

Sinner dispatched his German opponent 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-3 on No. 1 court as the Australian Open champion seeks his first Wimbledon title.

Sinner broke Hanfmann in the sixth game of the opener as he served for a one-set lead inside 37 minutes, and extended his advantage after an early break of serve in the second set.

As the 22-year-old looked to wrap up the match inside three sets, Hanfmann produced a shock double break to stay alive, but Sinner fought back in the fourth set to close out the victory.

He will play fellow Italian Matteo Berrettini in the second round.

Following the match, Sinner said he was pleased with how he finished after an impressive showing from Hanfmann.

“He played really well. He was serving well, I missed a couple of shots. First-round matches, they are never easy,” Sinner explained. “I’m happy to be through and hopefully in the next round, I can raise my level.

“This is a grass court and sometimes you cannot control everything,” Sinner added, referring to some difficulties with his footwork earlier in the match.

“How I reacted in the fourth set was very positive and ending the match in a positive way can hopefully help me to start the next round.”

Sinner also said there was “no better place to play” than Wimbledon for his first major tournament as the world’s top-ranked player.

“It’s a huge privilege and honour to be in the position that I am,” he said. “There is no better place to play a first Grand Slam as a world No. 1. It’s an amazing feeling.”

The beginning of the clash was tightly contested, but Sinner kept his nose in front despite some impressive return play from the world No. 86.

At 3-2, Sinner made his move and broke the 32-year-old for a two-game buffer to put himself firmly in the driving seat, before he wrapped up the opening set in a composed manner.

Sinner quickly found the break in the second set – earlier this time – when he broke Hanfmann’s serve following a hold apiece with a wrong-footing cross-court forehand winner, as he started to build a healthy advantage in the match.

Hanfmann threatened to hit back in the following game, but Sinner swatted away two break points to protect his two-game lead which consequently helped him to double his advantage in the match to 2-0.

As Sinner looked on course to book his spot in the next round in straight sets, but an early break from Hanfmann in the third made things interesting.

Surprisingly, the underdog sealed a double break over the top seed as he raced to a stunning four-game lead to disrupt Sinner, who began to struggle with his footwork following some tricky tennis from Hanfmann.

Sinner briefly halted the onslaught from the resurgent Hanfmann to break back and give himself the chance to halve the deficit, which he eventually did following a long battle on deuce. But the damage was done by Hanfmann, who brilliantly concluded the set 6-3 with a clinical cross-court volley.

There was a short delay ahead of the fourth set as the No. 1 Court roof was shut and inside the enclosed stadium, Sinner was able to get back on track with a sharpened display.

He broke to take a 3-1 lead and full control of the match, before delighting the London crowd with some exceptional play as he eased his way into the second round in dominant fashion.

After claiming his first major title earlier this year in Melbourne, Sinner is looking to bounce back from Grand Slam disappointment at the French Open to add a second title to his haul.

His recent good form means he is the top seed at this year’s tournament, where he will compete with the likes of defending champion Alcaraz and seven-time winner Novak Djokovic for a spot in the Wimbledon history books.