Jannik Sinner sparks fears of Miami Open final delay – ‘Hope we have a chance to play’ | Tennis | Sport

Jannik Sinner is hoping he’ll be able to face Jiri Lehecka in the Miami Open men’s singles final as planned, with rain expected to wreak havoc on the schedule again. The Miami Open is the second half of the ‘Sunshine Double’, following Indian Wells, but that name hasn’t been so fitting this year, as the tournament has been rocked by inclement weather.

A whole day of qualifying was rained off at the beginning of the tournament. There was another washout last Wednesday, with all first-round main-draw ATP and WTA matches cancelled for the day. More rain caused delays last Friday, with some matches cancelled and others moved to different courts. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka was downgraded from the main Stadium court as organisers scrambled to get the night session started.

The weather has since looked up, and play quickly got back on track, but the forecast doesn’t look great for Sunday, the final day of the tournament, when the women’s doubles final and men’s singles final are set to take place. And No. 2 seed Sinner is well aware that the championship match could be affected.

Sinner is hoping to complete the Sunshine Double – winning Indian Wells and Miami back-to-back. Should he beat Czech star Lehecka in straight sets in the final, he’d also become the very first player to win the two tournaments back-to-back without dropping a set. But he’s expecting some rain.

“The final means a lot to me. But on Sunday, it’s going to be a very tough match. I look just on that day, what’s ahead of me. He is a very, very tough opponent. He played incredible tennis throughout the whole week here, so he doesn’t have anything to lose. I’m in a different position, but at the same time, I will give the best I have, and we all hope for a great match,” the Italian said after beating Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

“Let’s see also the weather forecast. It’s also not promising, but we hope for a day as dry as possible, and that we have a chance to play. No matter what happens now in the final, of course, I will give it the best shot. But reaching the final here is good for me.”

Last year, the final day of the Miami Open l was also heavily delayed due to rain. The women’s doubles final was suspended with Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider leading Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato 3-0. The rain delay lasted roughly six hours before Andreeva and Shnaider returned to win the match.

Then, Czech teenager Jakub Mensik stunned Novak Djokovic in the men’s singles final. While Mensik narrowly lost to Frances Tiafoe in the third round, another Czech player, Lehecka, has made it to the final. The No. 21 seed hasn’t had his serve broken all tournament, and Sinner knows he has a tough task on his hands.

“It’s definitely a court that suits him very well, and then how he plays tennis is a very flat hitting forehand and backhand, serving very well. He is a very, very aggressive player. And this is perfect for these kind of conditions here. So I will, of course, try my best,” the 2024 Miami Open champion said.

“Finals are different, semis are different. When the stakes are getting bigger, there is a little bit more tension, which is normal, but I like to put myself in these situations and conditions. And now, for me, the main priority is to rest up.”

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