Jannik Sinner won a second head-to-head final against Daniil Medvedev during this fall swing when the Italian triumphed 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3 at the Erste Bank Open on Sunday afternoon. Sinner, who also beat Medvedev to capture the title in Beijing earlier this month, prevailed after three hours and five minutes.
“It took a lot of mental and physical stuff,” the world No. 4 commented. “I think we both served very well the first set. I managed somehow to get back on serve when he was a break up, because I felt like he was serving really good. I found a way in the first set.
“(In the) second set I felt like he was trying to get into the rally a little bit more and I was hustling a little bit. In the third set I tried to step up a little bit. I had a lot of break points; I couldn’t use them and then at the end I used them, so I’m very happy. Obviously to finish the match, it was really a mental thing, but I’m very happy about how I managed today and very happy for another title.”
A much more surprising champion emerged at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Even though Felix Auger-Aliassime was defending the title, nobody could have seen him doing so given his form heading into the 2023 tournament. Auger-Aliassime had been 5-12 in his last 17 matches prior to arriving in Basel, but he capped off his run to a second consecutive winner’s trophy with a 7-6(3), 7-6(5) victory over Hubert Hurkacz. The 23-year-old Canadian triumphed after one hour and 52 minutes in match that did not feature a single break of serve.
Despite the competitive scoreline, Auger-Aliassime pretty much dominated from start to finish. He never faced a break point while earning five on Hurkacz’s serve. The world No. 19 won 88 total points to his opponent’s 70.
“I’m definitely back,” Auger-Aliassime assured. “I let my racquet talk. That’s always been the motto of my career. I’ve had the conviction that I can be a top player since I’m a kid, but there were many doubts this year about my performances and why. I’m happy that I was able to prove to everybody that I still belong among the best players in the world, that I can play this level. I never doubted it, but it’s good to confirm it on the court.”
Hurkacz will try to bounce back and earn a spot in the Nitto ATP Finals by making a deep run at this week’s Rolex Paris Masters. He faces Sebastian Korda in the first round on Tuesday.
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nice one, Felix
Pretty surprising performance from AA, who has been very “middle of the pack” for over a year….and Sinner was awesome!