Defending champion Novak Djokovic and local hero Jannik Sinner have reached the final at the ATP Finals in Turin.
The Serbian world number one Djokovic won the sometimes high-class summit meeting with Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz (Spain) 6:3, 6:2 and can hope for his seventh title at the highlight tournament of the eight best professionals of the year. Sinner had previously defeated the Russian Daniil Medvedev 6:3, 6:7 (4:7), 6:1.
Djokovic (36), who lost his group game against Sinner in three sets and then only reached the semi-finals thanks to the Italian’s help, showed a concentrated performance against Alcaraz, who is 16 years his junior.
A break to make it 5:3 in the first set put the veteran on the road to victory, and in the second round he broke the Iberian’s serve when the score was 1:1. When Alcaraz missed two break chances to make it 3-3, the resistance was broken.
Djokovic and Alcaraz have an increasingly growing rivalry: At just 20 years old, the Spaniard has already won two Grand Slam titles, including the classic at Wimbledon in the summer with a five-set win against Djokovic. The world number one, in turn, had beaten Alcaraz on the way to his triumph in Paris.
Sinner is looking forward to the final
Sinner is also surprisingly in the final on Sunday. By beating Medvedev, the fans’ favorite became the first Italian to reach the final of the tournament.
Sinner, fourth in the world rankings, who had defeated Djokovic as well as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune in the group phase, was inspired by the spectators and did not allow himself to be disturbed by the unfortunate loss of the second set. After 2:29 hours, the 22-year-old converted his first match point.
“I felt very good on this pitch in the week before the tournament. It’s very fast, and of course the crowd gives me a lot of energy. I enjoy playing in front of my own fans here in Italy,” said Sinner: “It’s a privilege to have this pressure.”
Sinner has already made history: The South Tyrolean became the first Italian player to celebrate 61 victories in one season in the era of professional tennis since 1968. And he still has a chance of a record win of more than $4.8 million if he storms to the title in Turin.