World No. 1 Jannik Sinner claimed his second straight win at the ATP Finals, defeating American Taylor Fritz in a thrilling match on Tuesday. Playing in front of an electrifying crowd at the Inalpi Arena, Sinner secured a 6-4, 6-4 victory in what many are calling the best match of the tournament so far.
The Italian star showed resilience and precision, breaking Fritz’s serve once in each set. In the first set, Sinner made his move when Fritz was serving at 5-4, using a clever drop shot to set up set point before closing it out.
Fritz, ranked world No. 5, pushed hard in the second set and had a chance to shift the momentum when Sinner fell behind 30-0 on his serve at 3-3. However, Sinner remained composed, playing fearless tennis to hold his serve. He then broke Fritz again when the American was serving to stay in the match, sealing his victory in one hour and 40 minutes.
“It was a very tough match; we both knew exactly what to expect,” Sinner said after his 67th win of the season. “He was very aggressive. I managed to serve very well in the crucial moments. I’m happy with how I handled the tough situations, like at 3-3 in the second set when the momentum could have changed if he had broken me.”
With this win, Sinner tops the Ilie Nastase Group with two straight-sets victories and is on course to reach the semi-finals. He aims to become the first Italian to win the prestigious year-ending tournament.
In other matches, Russian Daniil Medvedev defeated Australian Alex de Minaur 6-2, 6-4 to keep his semi-final hopes alive. Medvedev, the 2020 champion, will face Sinner next, needing a win to advance.
Fritz remains hopeful of securing a semi-final spot as he prepares to face de Minaur in his final group match. “The more popular you become, the more fans you get, the more haters you get, the more attention you get,” Medvedev said after his win. “I went into this match blocking the noise, even from myself. I really didn’t care what was happening on the court; I just tried to play, and it was a good feeling.”
Reference(s):
Inspired Sinner battles past Fritz to claim second win at ATP Finals
cgtn.com
