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Jannik Sinner was extremely satisfied with the way he performed in his first match of the season. Sinner started his 2022 season at the ATP Cup on Sunday, where he destroyed Australia's Max Purcell 6-1 6-3. Sinner had two break points in the second game but Purcell saved to level the set at one game apiece.
After failing to convert any of his two break points in the second game, Sinner went on a major run as he claimed four consecutive breaks and won nine games in a row to take a 6-1 4-0 lead. Purcell served out the fifth game of the second set to end Sinner's nine-game run but that was all Sinner routinely served out for the match in the eighth game.
“It was a great match from my side,” Sinner said in his on-court interview, per the ATP Cup website. “I am very happy to have the first point for Team Italy and hopefully Matteo can finish it today. I felt very, very solid.
I knew I had to play solid from the baseline because when he comes to the net it is very, very tough to pass him, so I tried to play deep. For the first match of the year, it could not have gone any better”.
Sinner got the job done but Matteo Berrettini didn't
Berrettini had a chance to seal victory for Italy but he suffered a surprise loss to Alex de Minaur.
"This court brings out the best in me," de Minaur said after beating Berrettini to force a decisive match. "It's not about how many times you get knocked down. It's about how many times you get knocked down and get back up.
"My whole career I have had a couple of setbacks but look, I am back. I worked really hard to be here, I am in the best shape of my life and I am ready to have a big year." In the decisive match, Luke Saville and John Peers beat Berrettini and Simone Bolelli to give Australia victory.