Jannik Sinner extended his dominance over Alex de Minaur on Saturday, cruising to a straight-sets victory to reach the ATP Finals championship match for the third consecutive year.
The Italian world number two broke late in the first set and pulled away in the second to secure a 7-5, 6-2 win, marking his 13th consecutive victory over the Australian. Remarkably, Sinner has yet to drop a service game en route to the final.
Sinner will now attempt to defend his title on Sunday against top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime.
“It is the last event of the year and it’s great to finish like this,” Sinner said. “It was a very tough match, especially at the beginning. He was serving very well. In the second set, I broke early, raised my level, and tried to be more aggressive. It worked, but it was still a tough match.”
The 21-year-old Italian has now won his last 18 sets in Turin, including a triumph over Taylor Fritz in last year’s final, and is on a 30-match winning streak on indoor hard courts.
“Making the final for three consecutive years means a lot to me,” Sinner added. “It’s a great atmosphere to play tennis and a perfect place to close this season. Tomorrow, I’ll enjoy the moment and try my best to achieve the best possible result.”
De Minaur offered early resistance, saving two break points in the opening game, but failed to convert any of his three break opportunities in Sinner’s first service game. He continued to fend off threats in the seventh and ninth games, but Sinner ultimately took the first set 7-5.
In the second set, Sinner surged to a 4-0 lead before closing out his ninth consecutive win at the tournament. He became the youngest player since Lleyton Hewitt in 2004 to reach three ATP Finals finals.
If Sinner faces Alcaraz in Sunday’s final, it will be their sixth meeting of the season, with Alcaraz leading 4-1, including victories in the French Open and US Open finals.
AFP
