Sinner defeats Medvedev in ATP Finals semi-finals

Italy 22-year-old tennis player Jannik Sinner entered the ATP Finals final for the first time on home soil, after defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1 on November 18.

Sinner and Medvedev were the two players in top form in the group stage. They continued to prove that in the semifinal match on the afternoon of November 18, when they had more than twice as many winners as unforced errors. But Sinner was more confident throughout the match, winning 83% of first points, 85% of net points and not losing a single service game.

Sinner in an attack during the match against Medvedev at Pala Alpitour on November 18. Photo: ATP — Sinner in an attack during the match against Medvedev at Pala Alpitour on November 18. Photo: *ATP*

Sinner got into better rhythm thanks to successfully taking advantage of the first break-point in game four to take a 3-1 lead. The Italian player had previously successfully saved Medvedev's break-point in game three.

The only difference in the first set was that Sinner cruised to a 6-3 victory when neither had a break point in the remaining five games. Sinner and Medvedev continued to use their serve in the second set. Most of the games in this set ended in just a few minutes, except for the eighth game where Medvedev had a break point but continued to miss.

Medvedev was under immense pressure from the Turin crowd, who were cheering wildly for Sinner. But the Russian still showed his mettle in the second set, a must-win set. Medvedev calmly overcame the pressure, pulling Sinner into a tie-break. In this set, the 1.98m tall player's serve was at its best. After leading 4-3, the fourth seed had two consecutive serve points, before closing out the nerve-wracking series with a score of 7-4.

Sinner did not lose heart despite losing the second set. On the contrary, the Italian player started quickly in the deciding set with overwhelming rallies against Medvedev. He earned three break points in the first service game of his senior and successfully took advantage of the third opportunity. Sinner then increased the lead to 4-1 thanks to his stable serving ability. In the sixth game, the home player again made Medvedev struggle with a variety of shots from the back of the court, especially his backhand down the line.

Medvedev faced break points three times and saved only two points. The 27-year-old lost another service game and fell behind 1-5. He almost gave up after that game, then lost the final service game. Sinner played a convincing set when he won 76% of his first serve points, including 10 winners, and did not face any break points. At the other end of the net, Medvedev lost his rhythm when he committed five unforced errors and only three winners.

Medvedev missed out on the chance to play in his second ATP Finals final, after winning his first in 2020. Sinner maintained his perfect record in this year's tournament, thereby keeping alive his hopes of earning a record prize money in tennis history of $4.8 million. He is just one win away from glory, with his final opponent being Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic. If he wins, Sinner will become the first Italian player to win the title in the tournament's 54-year history.

Vy Anh

Source link