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Jannik Sinner started his US Open title defence with a clinical performance as he beat Czech Vit Kopriva 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 in a flawless display at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday.
There were no signs that Sinner was affected by the illness that forced him to retire in his Cincinnati Masters final against Carlos Alcaraz last week and he was asked to reflect on his first iconic meeting with his big rival, as they met at the US Open in a five-set thriller three years ago.
Alcaraz won on that occasion, but Sinner hinted the duo are very different players now as they head towards a possible final in New York on Sunday week.
"You know, three years back I felt like we were getting to know each other obviously and in different ways, but we also didn't know exactly what to expect in the future," he added.
"It's the same now. You don't know what's happening next. I feel like when we were very, very young, it was like a kind of match where you just go on court and just hit. Now I feel like we have to prepare tactically, we have to prepare it also emotionally and mentally.
"It's everything different because in the past three years, we faced each other many times, and every match we play is different, if we watch the tactical side. So we make adjustments.
"But for sure it was an important match [US Open 2022 match] to see also that our peak is very interesting to see also from the outside. It was for sure one of the key matches, even if we were very young."
Sinner and Alcaraz may be on a collision course to meet in a third successive Grand Slam final and on the evidence of his opening win against Kopriva, it may need a special performance from the Spaniard to stop the world No. 1 from lifting another US Open title.
