Looking forward: Shapovalov tops teenage Sinner in Australia
Associated PressMELBOURNE, Australia — It was getting close to 1 a.m., and 19-year-old Jannik Sinner was getting tired. Sinner said after beating fellow Italian Stefano Travaglia 7-6, 6-4 in a two-hour final at the Great Ocean Road Open on Sunday that his experience was not only about winning: “Sometimes losing matches, important matches, can help you maybe even more, especially when you are young.” He’s learned a lot in the last month, which has included a 14-day hotel quarantine and then a crammed schedule in the tuneup tournaments, which included having to play twice on one day and having to save match points in the semifinals. I’m already looking forward to playing the next tournament with the right mentality.” And then there’s the long-term benefit of his time this month in Australia with 20-time major winner Nadal. “Even today it’s, for me, mentally tough losing here in the fifth, but it’s going to be a lesson.” Shapovalov, at 21 and in the relatively rare position of being the older guy on court, admitted his experience proved to be the difference. “I was able to kind of rest the last couple of days, and he’s had to play some difficult, very difficult matches — he played yesterday literally the final,” Shapovalov said.