March 29 (Reuters) – Jannik Sinner beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-4 6-4 in a rain-hit Miami Open final on Sunday to become the first man to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’ without dropping a set.
The Italian world number two won 92% of his first-serve points and saved all three break points he faced en route to a victory that extended his string of Masters 1000 matches without dropping a set to 17.
“We did a lot of work to be in this position, so I’m really, really happy, and I’m also happy to go back home now,” Sinner said after the match.
“Making here the Sunshine Double here for the first time, it’s incredible. It’s something I would have never thought, because it’s also difficult to achieve, and yeah, we made it somehow, so I’m very happy.”
Sinner, who played around with a soccer ball ahead of a match that was delayed by about 90 minutes due to rain, broke early for a 3-1 lead and then leaned on his serve to close out the opening set with a hold at love.
The rain returned during the opening game of the second set, forcing players off the court for about 90 minutes, during which Sinner again kept loose with a soccer ball that he passed around with members of his team.
World number 22 Lehecka, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, fought off five break points over a pair of service games in the second set followed by a hold at love to go 4-3 up before Sinner took over.
Sinner made good on his sixth break point opportunity of the second set to pull ahead 5-4 and then closed it out on his serve when he sent a forehand volley to the open court on his first championship point.
Sinner is the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to win the Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back, a feat known as the ‘Sunshine Double’ given the tournaments’ respective locations in California and Florida.
By doing so, Sinner joins a club that, in addition to Federer, also includes Novak Djokovic, Andre Agassi, Marcelo Rios, Pete Sampras, Michael Chang and Jim Courier.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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