ATP Finals: On Tuesday, Jannik Sinner moved closer to being the first Italian to reach the ATP Finals’ last four.
Jannik Sinner advanced to the ATP Finals quarterfinals on Tuesday, becoming the first Italian to do so following a thrilling 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/2) victory over Novak Djokovic. Sinner needed a straight-sets victory over tennis legend Djokovic in front of a raucous home crowd in Turin to ensure progress from the Green Group with a match to spare. While the 22-year-old couldn’t quite pull it off, a magnificent performance earned him his first win in four attempts over Djokovic, who is attempting to win the year-ending championship for a record seventh time.
“It means a lot to me,” said Sinner on court.
Sinner’s fans chanted his name to the rafters after he won a thrilling three-hour competition that lasted far past midnight at the Pala Alpitour. Sinner has had the best year of his career and appears to be living up to the promise he has shown for a long time, winning four titles this season, including the Masters 1000 tournament in Toronto, and looks to be in good condition in Italy.
He got his first breakthrough when he took advantage of Djokovic’s double fault in game 11, pulling 6-5 ahead with a powerful backhand before winning the set with a service game to love. Djokovic leveled the match after a brutal second set in which neither player faced a single break point, but after rallying from 4-2 down in the final, he wilted in the tie-break, ending his winning streak at 20 matches.
“In these kinds of matches, very few opportunities will be presented, and if you don’t use them, then the other player will,” said Djokovic.
“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose… I don’t think I did anything wrong in terms of my game; he was just more determined and courageous when he needed to be.” Both players’ fates will be decided in the final round of group matches, with Djokovic facing Hubert Hurkacz, who has replaced Stefanos Tsitsipas, who withdrew from the competition due to a back injury, against Sinner’s next opponent, Holger Rune.
Tsitsipas out
And Rune will have the advantage of having only played three games before being awarded a straight-sets victory. Tsitsipas was 2-1 down in the first set of his finals match against Rune when he was forced to retire, delivering his opponent his first ever win in the competition. The crowd booed the sixth seed after only a quarter-hour of singles play in the afternoon session. Fans were enraged that he was playing despite frequent injury rumors.
“I’m gutted that I wasn’t able to finish the match,” Tsitsipas, 25, told reporters.
“My physicians and the several visits I’ve had in the last few days have all urged that I play… On the court, however, I felt dreadful. I tried everything I could to be ready and fit for this match, but it didn’t work out for me.” Tsitsipas stated after pulling out that he had issues during his warm-up and that while on the court, he was in too much discomfort to finish the match.
“I’ve gone through pain during matches in the past… But this was clearly too much to handle, and I had to make the difficult decision to do what I did,” he said.
Tsitsipas also mentioned that a “lack of rest” in a hectic schedule may have contributed to his decision to withdraw. The ATP has been chastised by players and coaches for its scheduling practices, which frequently result in late-night matches and limited recovery times during tournaments. On Wednesday, world number two Carlos Alcaraz will face Andrey Rublev in his first Red Group match, while Daniil Medvedev will face Alexander Zverev for a place in the last four.
Frequently asked questions
Who will replace Tsitsipas in ATP Finals?
Hurkacz will take Tsitsipas’s position and face top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Thursday. Rune fell to Djokovic in his first round, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (1), 6-3, but the Dane currently leads the green group ahead of Djokovic’s showdown against Sinner.
Why did Tsitsipas retire today?
Tsitsipas appeared to be bothered by a back problem and opted not to compete after consulting with a doctor. Tsitsipas also confirmed that he will not be able to compete in the competition and will be replaced by Hubert Hurkacz.
What nationality is Jannik Sinner’s parents?
Jannik Sinner was born on August 16, 2001, into a Roman Catholic family in Innichen, a largely German-speaking district of South Tyrol in northern Italy. He grew up in Sexten, where his father works as a cook and his mother as a waitress at a ski resort.
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