ATP Finals: Sinner after defeating Medvedev in the Turin final

The Italian defeated Russian Daniil Medvedev 6:3,6:7(4),6:1 in the semifinals of the season-ending tournament worth $15 million on Saturday. In the final, the 22-year-old local hero will face the winner of the second semi-final between Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz and number one, Novak Djokovic from Serbia (9 p.m.). “It was a really tough game today, I’m happy to be in the final,” said Sinner in the winner’s interview after the work was done. “I feel comfortable on the fast surface here. And of course, the crowd gives me so much energy. For me it’s a pleasure to play in front of the home fans.”

In the first set, Vienna champion Sinner got a break to make it 3-1, after which the South Tyrolean remained safe on his own serve and used his first set point to make it 1-0. In the second round, both served very stable: Sinner only allowed one breakball without consequences, Medvedev none at all. The decision was therefore made in the tiebreak, where the Russian, seeded number three, was ahead.

Test of nerves for Medvedev

In the deciding set, the 27-year-old Medvedev’s nerves let him down. First he gave up his first serve game with a double fault, a little later he threw away his racket and swore at the Italian audience, which earned him a warning. Sinner moved ahead 3-0 and added another break to make it 5-1. This broke his opponent, and after a good two and a half hours the tournament’s number four used his first match point.

For Sinner it is the third win in a row against Medvedev in a short time; three weeks ago he also triumphed in three sets in the Vienna final. In the head-to-head, the world number four reduced the lead to 3:6. In his first “Masters” semi-final, he became the first Italian to make it to the final. The second semi-final starts at 9 p.m.