After defeating American seventh seed Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-6(6) in the Shanghai Masters semifinals, Novak Djokovic advanced to the title match against top-seeded Jannik Sinner, one step closer to his 100th ATP victory.
Sinner became the first Italian to reach the finals on Saturday, defeating Tomas Machac, the 30th seed from the Czech Republic, 6-4 7-5, to win the top spot in the year-end rankings. The 24-time Grand Slam victor Djokovic will compete in his fifth final in the history of the competition in an attempt to win both his fifth Shanghai Masters championship and his 100th ATP championship. “I came here this year with the intention of fighting for 100 titles and making it to the final,” Djokovic stated.
Let’s see what transpires when I get the chance to play the greatest player in the world. With an incredible 9-0 head-to-head record against Fritz going into the match, fourth seed Djokovic put the pressure on Fritz early in the first set, forcing the American to convincingly defend three break points. With three more break points at 2-2, the Serbian put Fritz on the ropes with his forceful and accurate groundstrokes, utilizing his backhand to deadly effect.
Fritz could only parry one before smashing a backhand wide, and the break proved to be the turning point as Djokovic closed out the first set with his first match ace. After holding serve during a close game in which Djokovic made a number of incredible passing strokes, US Open finalist Fritz gained some momentum in the second set and earned his first two break point opportunities of the match at 4-3. A wasteful Fritz was unable to land first serves and capitulated tamely as Djokovic held despite suffering a hip problem that required treatment on the court before forcing the set into a tiebreak.
Taylor is in form, we’re coming off of the Grand Slam final and he’s playing really well,” Djokovic said of Fritz, who lost to Sinner in this year’s US Open final.
“Particularly on this surface, he’s serving big, so I knew it was going to be a big test for me. I did not want to get to the third set and I’m just glad to overcome it.”
Sinner advances
Machac made a promising start against Sinner by winning the opening two games before the Italian got on the board, with the top seed closing out a hard-fought first set in 44 minutes after errors flew from the 30th-seeded Czech’s racket.
The twice Grand Slam champion was made to work hard by Machac, even more so in the second set, but Sinner proved too solid for his fellow 23-year-old as he sealed his 64th win of the year while making just nine unforced errors.
The Italian’s dominant season has seen him win his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and another at the US Open. He is the first Italian to finish the year as world number one.
“It’s amazing. It’s something you dream of when you’re a kid, when you’re young. Just to reach the number one spot, now but to have the year-end … it’s also a different and special feeling,” Sinner said.
“I think we all saw how much talent and firepower he (Machac) has. I had to be very, very careful in every service game.”
Sinner can win his seventh trophy of the year today. — Reuters
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