US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz and top ranked Jannik Sinner secured their places at the ATP Finals semifinals. Sinner won the round-robin group after a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 2020 champion Daniil Medvedev. Fritz followed him in second after rallying past Alex de Minaur 5-7, 6-4, 6-3. Jannik Sinner started his match against Medvedev after mathematically securing his position at the semi-final. Alex de Minaur gave the Italian the spot by winning the first set against Taylor Fritz in their duel within the Ilie Nastase Group. Fritz secured his place as semifinalist by the time Sinner won the first set against Medvedev.
Jannik Sinner Is Still Undefeated
Jannik Sinner seemed to be extra motivated to go unbeaten. The undefeated champion at the ATP Finals could earn $4,881,500. If Sinner wins the title but had lost to Medvedev, the Italian could have still won $2,237,200. Playing on home soil in Turin, Sinner is unbeaten this week and hasn’t dropped a set. The World No. 1 took the edge in his career meetings with Medvedev at 8-7 after Medvedev swept their first six matches. The two rivals have faced off six times this year, with Sinner winning five of the matches. Medvedev’s only win against Sinner came in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Sinner completed a flawless run with a 3-0 record in the Ilie Nastase Group. He heads to the semifinals in pole position to better his 2023 ATP Finals results. The Italian finished runner-up last fall to Novak Djokovic – who pulled out injured this year. Sinner can’t duplicate his win over the 24-time Grand Slams champion in round-robin play this year. Sinner is now on a nine-match winning streak and is yet to drop a set in Turin.
Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner Exchanged a Favor
After helping Sinner secure his place into the semifinal, Taylor Fritz received the same treatment. The top American is into the semifinals since Sinner won a set against Medvedev. His win against Alex de Minaur paid off after Sinner won a straight sets match against Medvedev. This is the second time Fritz qualified for the semifinal. He previously reached the final four in 2022, falling to Djokovic. Fritz gave a dominant performance, bouncing back from a set down with a solid display in the second set. He ran away with the third set as the match marked the first time a deciding set has been played at this year’s tournament.
The result made the seventh seed De Minaur go home without winning a single match in the Ilie Nastase group in his tournament debut. Medvedev, who won one of three matches, was also eliminated. Sinner and Fritz will discover their semifinal opponent on Friday with Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Casper Ruud, and Andrey Rublev still able to qualify.
Sinner and The Shadow Of His Doping Case
Jannik Sinner is playing at home for the first time since the announcement that he tested positive in two separate drug tests this year. A decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency in September and a final ruling in the case is expected in 2025. “I’m very positive of how it’s going to be,” he said, according to the Associated Press.
Sinner has claimed that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger. The spray was given by Sinner’s former physical trainer, Umberto Ferrara. With positive results at the round-robin stage, things couldn’t get much better for Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals so far. He is speeding toward the finish line of his stellar season. The Australian Open and US Open champion seemed to be powered by the fans in Turin. He had a great chance to cross the finish line gracefully.
