(Shanghai) Jannik Sinner, who will end the year in the place of world No.1, and Novak Djokovic qualified on Saturday for the final of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai by respectively beating the Czech Tomas Machac (33e) 6-4, 7-5 and the American Taylor Fritz (7e) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).
Sinner, 23, who has reigned on the ATP circuit since June, is now assured of becoming the first Italian to end the year at the top of the hierarchy, even before the last major tournaments of the season, including the Masters (Finals). of the ATP), which will bring together the eight best players in the world from November 10 to 17 in Turin, in his country.
“I am very happy to achieve this. It’s been an incredible year for me, and it’s not over,” commented the player after his semi-final.
Already a winner in Cincinnati and Miami this year, the Italian qualifies for his third Masters 1000 final of the season, the sixth of his career.
If successful on Sunday, the winner of the Australian Open and the United States Open, still embroiled in a doping affair, would reach the figure of 65 victories this season, beating his 2023 performance.
Djokovic, Olympic champion in Paris, has not played an ATP final since his defeat at Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz, but he will have the opportunity to win his 100e title Sunday.
The Serbian, 37, leads Sinner 4-3 in their head-to-head matches but has lost their last two duels, including the semi-final of the Australian Open in January, at a time when he was still world number one. .
The Djoker will try to win a fifth time in his Shanghai garden, a record, and win his first Masters 1000 of the season. Since 2018, he has always won in at least one Masters 1000 each year.
Sinner “very satisfied”
Facing Fritz, whom he beat for 10e times in as many matches, the Serb has never really trembled.
PHOTO TINGSHU WANG, REUTERS
Novak Djokovic
After breaking at 2-2 in the first set, he relied on a very good first serve (81% against 59% for Fritz) to maintain his advantage until 6-4.
Trailing 3-2 in the second set, he was able to erase two break points by tightening the game to equalize and take the American to the tiebreaker.
Djokovic, who saved a set point in the deciding game, managed to reverse the score to win, out of breath, avoiding a perilous third set.
It was “an incredible fight”, reacted the Serb after the match. “He could have easily won the second set… In the tiebreaker, any of us could have won,” he added.
A little earlier, Sinner had to work to get rid of the Czech Tomas Machac, who defeated the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz (2e) in the previous round.
PHOTO HECTOR RETAMAL, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Tomas Machac
After erasing a break at the start of the match, the Italian, very good behind his first balls (75% of points won), took the Czech’s challenge a second time at 5-4 and won the first set.
At 4-4 in a second set that was once again very contested, Sinner saved two break points thanks to two big serves before winning his faceoff on a new unforced error from Machac.
Three games later, Sinner did not miss his chance and concluded with a smash on his only break point of the set.
“It was very hard. He is very confident and can hit the ball really hard, and he has a very good serve,” said the Italian.
“I tried to stay mentally focused… I’m very happy with the way I’m fighting at the moment,” he added.