Sinner shatters the dark horse myth, called a boring final, Mr. Qian’s unimpressed expression steals the spotlight

The men’s singles final at the China Open has ended, and unexpectedly, the match was described as "boring" by many observers!

After Alcaraz played in the Tokyo 500 event this year, before the top seed Sinner even took the court, some joked that the men’s singles trophy at this year’s China Open could be pre-awarded to the Italian. The rationale was that without Alcaraz as a formidable opponent, anyone else hoping to contest the title against Sinner was just dreaming.

It’s unclear if the Italian deliberately wanted to create suspense and avoid giving everyone the impression that the championship was already tightly secured in his hands and hard to snatch away; surprisingly, in his matches against Mannarino and Deminor, he barely escaped with two close wins, immediately changing some people’s views, who then claimed Sinner’s form seemed unstable and a new champion might emerge at this year’s China Open.

When Sinner reached the final and saw his opponent was the American prodigy Lener Qian, who advanced thanks to consecutive retirements from Musetti and Medvedev, many began to believe Mr. Qian might be the chosen one at this year’s China Open. Facing Sinner at this moment seemed like destiny intended for him to heavily challenge the Italian, instantly adding suspense to the men’s singles final and rekindling viewers’ interest.

However, once the match officially started, everyone gradually realized that the so-called instability in Sinner’s form and the idea that Lener Qian was heaven-sent to block the Italian were just illusions.

With Sinner’s textbook-like performance, Lener Qian was utterly powerless to resist the Italian’s firepower, instantly turning what was supposed to be a suspenseful clash into a lesson on how the Italian dominated the American.

As comments like “college student versus elementary school student” spread in the live chat, the excitement of the match naturally diminished in the eyes of many. Once the contest became Sinner’s solo showcase, Lener Qian merely accompanied him through the final stages, leaving everyone to just wait for the award ceremony.

Therefore, when Sinner swept Lener Qian with two 6-2 sets to claim the title, the applause from the audience seemed, to many, less about cheering for Sinner and more a gesture of sympathy for Lener Qian. Under such a difficult situation with no hope of a comeback, the young American’s ability to endure the match without collapsing was truly commendable, deserving applause to comfort his wounded spirit.

Why do many consider the match between Sinner and Lener Qian very dull? From start to finish, Sinner displayed overwhelming dominance; coupled with the Italian’s average first serve speed exceeding 210 km/h, the dark horse Lener Qian’s China Open miracle seemed like a fragile mirror shattering before Sinner. With no real resistance or suspense, and very few long rallies, fans and netizens naturally found the match lacking excitement.

The on-site commentator’s exclamation that Sinner’s performance was “like watching a precision instrument at work” only reinforced Lener Qian’s helplessness on court, making him look like a mere novice overwhelmed by the Italian’s power and aggression, leaving everything feeling hopeless and futile.

It was initially thought that no thrilling moments would emerge from this duel and that the men’s singles final at this year’s China Open would end quietly. Unexpectedly, a scene at the award ceremony quickly changed everyone’s dull impression of the match, leaving people saying they were emotionally touched after all.

This interesting twist wasn’t due to Sinner’s lengthy speech about how hard it was to win the title, but rather because of the facial expressions contributed by Lener Qian.

At that moment, the young American’s glance at Sinner was full of stories, humorously interpreted by fans and netizens as showing dissatisfaction with the loss. Especially when someone jokingly added, “Unless Sinner beats me 6-2, 6-2, I don’t think he’s that great,” many felt this perfectly captured Lener Qian’s expression, making this instant a memorable highlight of the China Open 500 finale.

Although Lener Qian’s performance in the final was somewhat disappointing and he was called Sinner’s practice partner, this young American’s dark horse story at this China Open revealed his immense potential. Some say his loss was mainly due to lack of experience; with time to grow out of his rookie phase, it’s not only unlikely Sinner will easily dominate him again, but there’s even a chance Lener Qian could overthrow the hardcourt king, as he clearly has that capability.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Moon River’s Starry Sky)