Jannik Sinner made history by becoming the first Italian ever to make it to the ATP Finals semifinals. He achieved this by securing a hard-fought victory over Holger Rune, maintaining his unbeaten streak in the tournament.
Sinner, who secured a place in the last four after defeating top players Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, triumphed 6-2 5-7 6-4 against Rune to clinch the top spot in the Green Group.
“For me, it was really important resetting after the good win against Novak,” Sinner said, per the ATP. “I never won against [Rune], so I really tried my best. I started off really well.”
“In the second, he served better, he moved better, so it was a much more even match. The third set could have gone his way.”
“At 4-3, I saved a break point. It was a little bit of a roller coaster today, but obviously really happy and happy to be in the semis.”
Djokovic, needing Sinner’s victory to progress, was relieved to see Sinner secure the win. Djokovic’s own triumph over Hubert Hurkacz wasn’t enough for him to reach the semifinals if Rune emerged victorious later that evening.
Sinner’s display of perseverance while battling a back injury during the match must have kept Djokovic on the edge of his seat. Nonetheless, cheered on by a fervent home crowd in Turin’s Pala Alpitour arena, Sinner emerged victorious.
The 22-year-old also marks another milestone by becoming the first Italian man in the Open Era to achieve 60 victories in a season.
“It means for sure more doing it here in Italy, in Turin, a special place, special tournament,” Sinner said of the milestone. “I’m very happy that I have the chance to have at least two more matches. Hopefully, I can finish the year in a good way. I think it’s going in the right direction, and let’s see what’s coming.”
Meanwhile in the Red Group, Andrey Rublev is already out of the competition. However, Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, and Daniil Medvedev are still in contention.
Alcaraz is set to play against Medvedev in Friday’s afternoon session, while Rublev will face Zverev in the evening.
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Jessica Roberts serves up the latest in the world of tennis. With a love for the racket sport, she reports on tennis matches, player rankings, and Grand Slam events, ensuring readers stay informed about the tennis world.
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