Jannik Sinner reached the last four of the ATP Finals on Wednesday after beating Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 to advance from Bjorn Borg’s group with one match remaining.
World number one Sinner is trying to retain his title at the prestigious season-ending tournament and he advanced to the semi-finals in front of a delighted crowd in Turin.
Advertisement
The 24-year-old was not at his best and suffered a hand problem early in the match, but he still had more than enough to beat Zverev for the fifth time in a row.
Zverev hasn’t beaten Sinner since the 2023 US Open, having been destroyed by the Italian in the semi-finals of the recent Paris Masters, and once again the German couldn’t handle the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Sinner was brutal on his serve, hitting 12 aces, and once he won the first set with his third break point of Game 10, he never looked back.
“If we look at the match today, there were one or two points, that’s why I won the first set,” Sinner told reporters.
Advertisement
“A few points, that’s why I won the second set. If those points go the other way, maybe it’s the same score going the other way. You never know.”
Zverev needed to win in straight sets to book his place in the semi-finals, but will now have to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, a 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 winner over Ben Shelton, in his final group match on Friday to progress.
But he appeared irritated on the court, frustrated by his inability to capitalize on one of his seven break points, a series of unforced forehand errors and, at one point, a flashing billboard.
“Look, I hope to see him again – it’s as simple as that – this week,” Zverev said.
Advertisement
“He’s not unplayable. I had a lot of chances. He had one, he used the opportunity. That’s why he’s number one in the world, you know? He uses the chances he gets.”
Sinner, meanwhile, will face Shelton with the aim of taking the lead in the group and setting up a clash with whoever finishes second in the group Jimmy Connors, currently led by his great rival Carlos Alcaraz.
– Auger-Aliassime aggressive –
Canadian Auger-Aliassime won only his second ever match at the season-ending tournament with a fighting display, coming back from a poor start to boost his hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Advertisement
“I think I played very well, very aggressive, hitting very good backhand and forehand balls, so I went for it and in the end it paid off,” Auger-Aliassime told Sky Sport.
Auger-Aliassime’s imposing service game, which included nine aces, finally broke Shelton whose erratic play cost him a first victory in the final.
The 25-year-old showed no signs of a calf problem that affected his opening loss to Sinner, and he will face Zverev on Friday with a chance to advance to the round of 16.
“I think there’s a certain learning curve everywhere you go. Different tournament, different atmosphere, different format that I’ve never played in, obviously playing against the best players in the world,” Shelton told reporters.
Advertisement
Shelton appeared to be in control as he won the first set at the first opportunity, breaking Auger-Aliassime’s serve for the second time right after canceling his initial break.
Auger-Aliassime won a tight second set that went with serve until the tiebreak, when Shelton had to save three set points before finally conceding the match lead with a double fault.
And he won the match the third time asking at the end of another bruising set, breaking Shelton and getting a win on the board.
td/nf/nr
