SINNER'S A SAINT

Italian has angelic touch like Federer says ex-Agassi coach

- NEIL MCLEMAN

JANNIK SINNER'S perfect timing has been likened to that of Roger Federer ahead of the Italian's first Grand Slam event final.

The world No.4 is favourite to win the Australian Open crown against Daniil Medvedev today after beating defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Surging Sinner has worked to raise his game since losing to the Serbian superstar in his first Grand Slam event semifinal at Wimbledon last July.

The former Italian junior national giant slalom skiing runner-up has since won his first ATP Masters titles in Beijing and Vienna, the Davis Cup and beaten Djokovic and Medvedev three times.

Sinner, nicknamed 'The Fox', (right) is the current form player on the planet.

His Aussie coach Darren Cahill - who worked with former world No.1s Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt and Simona Halep has claimed that Sinner's pure ball striking has always marked him out as a future superstar.

"The sound of the ball when he hits it, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Cahill said.