Former tennis player and coach Brad Gilbert recently expressed his admiration for Jannik Sinner, who won a grueling 46-shot rally against Tommy Paul in the semifinals of the 2023 Canadian Open.
Gilbert, who coached Andre Agassi to six Grand Slam titles, called the rally ‘ridiculously good hitting’ and shared a video of the point.
In the men’s semifinals, Italian seventh seed Jannik Sinner faced American Tommy Paul, who had upset world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round. The match was a close contest, with both players displaying power and consistency from the baseline.
In the second set, the two engaged in a spectacular rally that lasted 46 shots and nearly a minute. The rally featured deep groundstrokes, sharp angles, and incredible defense from both players.
Sinner eventually won the point with a forehand winner down the line, prompting a roar from the crowd. The Italian athlete went on to break Paul’s serve and win the match 6-4, 6-4.
The video of the rally was posted by The Tennis Letter on Twitter on Sunday, August 13.
“Sinner wins the most exhausting point of the tournament against Tommy Paul. 46-shot rally. Jannik does not hit the ball. He THUMPS it. Few people in history have ever hit a tennis ball as cleanly as him. Jannik, have mercy,” the caption read.
Gilbert retweeted the video with his own comment.
“Wow 🤩 ridiculously good hitting on that rally,” he wrote.
Sinner is looking for his first Masters title and his second title of the year. He is also aiming to become the first male Italian to win the Canadian Open.
Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur to clash in Canadian Open final
The 2023 Canadian Open will have a new champion as Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur face each other in the final on Monday, August 14. Both players are seeking their first ATP Masters 1000 title and their second title of the season.
Sinner has been impressive throughout the tournament, dropping only one set en route to the final. The 21-year-old defeated Matteo Berrettini in straight sets in the opening round.
He received a walkover against former world number one Andy Murray in the round of 16, followed by a three-set win over Gael Monfils in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, he overcame American Tommy Paul in straight sets.
18th-ranked Australian De Minaur has also shown great form and resilience in Toronto. The 24-year-old upset second seed Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals, cruising past Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the semifinals, 6-1, 6-3.
De Minaur won his seventh ATP title in Acapulco in March and reached the final in Los Cabos last week.
This will be the fifth meeting between Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur, with the former leading the head-to-head 4-0. They last played against each other at the ATP Masters 1000 Madrid round of 32 in 2022, where Sinner won in straight sets.
