Jannik Sinner overcame Daniil Medvedev for the second time this month on Sunday when he moved past the 27-year-old 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3 to clinch the title at the Erste Bank Open.
The Italian defeated the World No. 3 in the Beijing final at the start of October and ensured history would repeat itself in Vienna. He saved two set points in the first set before he earned a crucial break in the fourth game of the third set, converting on his ninth break point of an 18-minute game.
He then held serve to seal victory on serve on his second match point after three hours and five minutes. With his win, Sinner improved to 2-6 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Scenes for Sinner 🤩@janniksin 🤝 @DaniilMedwed after a “battle of beautiful brutality” 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3!@ErsteBankOpen | #erstebankopen pic.twitter.com/faNRwuzKpl
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 29, 2023
“It took a lot of mental and physical stuff,” said Sinner. “I think we both served very well the first set. I managed somehow to get back on serve when he was a break up, because I felt like he was serving really good. I found a way in the first set.
“Second set, I felt like he was trying to get into the rally a little bit more and I was hustling a little bit. In the third set I tried to step up a little bit. I had a lot of break points, I couldn’t use them and then at the end I used them so I’m very happy. Obviously to finish the match, it was really a mental thing, but I’m very happy about how I managed today and very happy for another title.”
Title 🏆 number 4️⃣ in 2023 for @janniksin
Getting the better of Medvedev in a epic final @ErsteBankOpen 💪
That win makes it 2-2 in their matches this year, will they get a decider in before the end of the season? Could it be another final?#TennisInsights | @ATPTour pic.twitter.com/TVzY9dPZRR
— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 30, 2023
Facing off for the fourth time in a final this year, Sinner struck 36 winners to 28 from Medvedev, while the Italian committed fewer unforced errors (22-23). With little to separate the pair, Sinner continued to play aggressively in the third set, moving Medvedev from side to side to wear down his opponent and triumph. Sinner and Medvedev are now 2-2 in tour-level finals this year, after the World No. 3 earned victories against the Italian in Rotterdam and Miami.
“Big congrats to Jannik. It was a tough match, at one moment I thought I maybe could get you,” said Medvedev to Sinner at the trophy presentation. “I didn’t manage to do it. As I said already three times this year, hopefully we can play more finals, maybe even this year. Big congrats to you, you’re playing great, finishing the year strong.”
Sinner has earned 40 tour-level hard court wins in a season for the first time. Alongside Vienna and Beijing, the 22-year-old has also lifted trophies on hard courts in Montpellier and Toronto in 2023. He has won 10 tour-level crowns overall, holding a 10-3 record in finals.
The World No. 4, who did not drop a set en route to the final in Austria, will compete at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in November after qualifying earlier this month. Medvedev will also take to court at the prestigious year-end event.
Medvedev was aiming to successfully defend a title on the ATP Tour for the first time. The top seed has captured 20 tour-level trophies but has never won the same event twice. The 27-year-old leaves Vienna holding a 64-15 record on the year.