Jannik Sinner reached the last four of the ATP Finals on Wednesday after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3, qualifying from the Bjorn Borg group with a match to spare.
World number one Sinner is aiming to retain his title at the prestigious end-of-season tournament. He smoothly advanced to the semifinals in front of an enthusiastic crowd in Turin.
The 24-year-old was not at his peak, struggling with a hand issue at the start of the match, but still had enough to defeat Zverev for the fifth consecutive time.
Zverev hasn’t beaten Sinner since the 2023 US Open, having been overpowered by the Italian in the semifinals of the recent Paris Masters. Once again, the German couldn’t handle the four-time Grand Slam champion.
Sinner was dominant with his serve, hitting 12 aces, and once he secured the first set with his third break point in game 10, he never looked back.
“If we watch the match today, there were one or two points, that’s why I won the first set,” Sinner told reporters.
“A couple of points, that’s why I won the second set. If those points go the other way, maybe it’s the same score in the opposite way. You never know.”
Zverev needed a straight-sets victory to secure his place in the semis. He now must beat Felix Auger-Aliassime, who won 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-5 over Ben Shelton, in his final group match on Friday to progress.
However, he appeared frustrated on court, unable to capitalize on any of his seven break points, committing a series of unforced forehand errors, and at one point being distracted by a flashing advertising sign.
“Listen, I hope to see him again — it’s as simple as that — this week,” Zverev said.
“He’s not unplayable. I had many opportunities. He had one, he used the chance. This is why he’s number one in the world, you know? He uses the chances that he gets.”
Sinner, meanwhile, will face Shelton aiming to top the group and set up a clash with whoever finishes second in the Jimmy Connors Group, currently led by his great rival Carlos Alcaraz.
Aggressive Auger-Aliassime
Canada’s Auger-Aliassime claimed only his second-ever match victory at the season-ending tournament with a determined performance, coming back from a poor start to boost his hopes of reaching the semifinals.
“I think I played great, very aggressive, hitting very good balls on backhand and forehand, so I went for it, and in the end, it paid off,” said Auger-Aliassime to Sky Sport.
Auger-Aliassime’s impressive service game, which included nine aces, eventually wore down Shelton, whose erratic play cost him a debut win at the Finals.
The 25-year-old showed no signs of the calf problem that affected his opening loss to Sinner, and he will face Zverev on Friday with a chance of making the knockout stage.
“I think there’s a bit of a learning curve everywhere you go. Different tournament, different atmosphere, different format that I never played in, obviously playing the best players in the world,” Shelton told reporters.
Shelton seemed in control when he won the first set at the first opportunity, breaking Auger-Aliassime’s serve for the second time just after having his initial break canceled out.
Auger-Aliassime won a tight second set that stayed on serve until the tie-break, where Shelton had to save three set points before ultimately conceding the match lead with a double fault.
He won the match at the third attempt at the end of another tough set, breaking Shelton and getting a win on the board.
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