THERE was only one moment in this Wimbledon men’s singles final when Jannik Sinner looked truly flustered.
That was in the second set, when he had to delay a serve after almost being struck by a freshly-popped Champagne court.
A couple of hours later, the Veuve Clicquot was all his.
As Centre Court roasted in 90-degree heat, the Italian was the coolest man in the building.
In front of two future Kings of England and the current King of Spain, Sinner dethroned Carlos Alcaraz as he avenged last month’s dramatic French Open defeat to become the first Italian to win a Wimbledon singles title.
What it means for clean sport, who knows? Sinner failed a drug test last year and should surely not have been playing here.
Yet his rivalry with Alcaraz is such an absorbing one that tennis chiefs allowed him to escape with slapped wrists – a three-month suspension which included none of the Grand Slams.
A Sinner by name and my nature then – and yet here is Sinner’s wages were £3million.
A grubby backroom deal, and the sacking of a physio, had allowed the Italian book himself a brief ban after testing positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol, which he claims entered his body via massages.
Still, whatever the ethics, his rivalry with Alcaraz is compelling.
Having blown a two-set lead and three championship points at Roland Garros, this time Sinner roared back from a set-down to secure a 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 victory.
This was the first Wimbledon men’s singles final since 2002 to include none of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal or Andy Murray – there has been a generation shift in the sport over the last two years and these two 21st-century boys are ahead of the rest by a country mile.
After squandering a 4-2 lead in the opening set, Sinner was imperious thereafter as he seal a fourth Grand Slam title since the start of last year.
Sinner, who speaks German as his first language, was impressively efficient as Alcaraz turned ragged in the sweltering heat.
After that epic five-and-a-half hour saga at Roland Garros, where Alcaraz staged one of the greatest sporting comebacks of all time, All England Club chiefs were taking a risk by moving the start time back until 4pm.
Then the over-running women’s doubles final shunted it back further still.
But in front of tennis royalty and actual royalty, the two finest tennis players on the planet strode on to Centre Court at ten past four for the climax of a sun-baked fortnight.
In the intense heat, thousands of fans fluttered thousands of fans, Centre Court resembling a butterfly sanctuary.
Both men had arrived with their bazookas – amid a barrage of big serves early on, Alcaraz delivered a 139mph ace, the fastest he’d ever clocked at a Slam.
Yet in the fifth game, Sinner reeled off four points in a row to break Alcaraz from 40-15 down, the champion going long with a forehand to hand Sinner the
Soon, though, Alcaraz was back on terms. After one marathon rally which threatened the neck muscles of every side-on spectator, the Spaniard forced two break points and needed only one to tie it at 4-4.
Alcaraz backed that up by holding with a 140mph ace which scattered the chalkdust.
Suddenly the champion was all over his rival and he reeled off a fourth consecutive game to break Sinner for the opening set.
At deuce, the Italian threw in a double fault, then Alcaraz concluded a stunning rally with a backhand winner from the baseline and cupped his ears to take in the roars.
It would prove premature.
Smarting, Sinner forced three break points at the start of the second – taking the third when Alcaraz sent a forehand long.
The quality was ridiculous, Alcaraz fizzing a backhand cross-court to put immediate pressure on the Sinner serve but the wiry world No 1 held.
Sinner was forced to delay his serve when he was almost struck by a freshly-popped champagne cork. Even the missiles are posh here, and we were sipping from the lumpy end of the wine list both on and off the court.
As Sinner served for the second set, he raised the roof with a cross-court winner at the net, then a thunderclap forehand down the line earned two set points, the first one taken with a flourish.
The Italian was operating a scorched-turf policy now, giving the world’s most famous lawn a serious pummelling. Alcaraz was wristy, searching for the angles, but struggling for consistency.
The champion rescued two break points at the start of the third, clinging on in there.
Sinner turned to improv, dinking over the net from between his legs, then duffing the volley that would have made it count – yet he thrashed an ace to hold for 3-3.
Alcaraz, emerging from a lull, lobbed his man with a dramatic arc, yet Sinner got out the big gun again and aced for 4-4.
Then Alcaraz got sloppy and slippy, Sinner breaking as the Spaniard fell on the baseline and Sinner was serving for the set – which he managed, successfully, despite a double fault.
The momentum was fully with Sinner now and he nailed two backhands down the line to break for 2-1 – just four games from glory.
At 4-3, Sinner cleared the baseline to concede two break points but saved both and eventually held.
Then as the Centre Court crowd chanted his name, Sinner served out nervelessly – securing three Championship points after a thrilling rally, taking the second and holding his arms aloft before he headed for some of that bubbly.
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