You know it’s an absolutely incredible Nitto ATP Finals semifinal lineup when the world No. 1 (Novak Djokovic) vs. the world No. 2 (Carlos Alcaraz) may not even be considered the marquee matchup in the eyes of the Turin crowd.
That’s because Italy’s own Jannik Sinner is taking the court on semifinal Saturday, as well, and he also has a blockbuster battle on his hands against Daniil Medvedev.
Just like Djokovic vs. Alcaraz, Medvedev vs. Sinner has been one of 2023’s best rivalries. Medvedev extended his head-to-head dominance to 6-0 with victories in Rotterdam (5-7, 6-2, 6-2) and Miami (7-5, 6-3), but Sinner has finally turned the tide. The world No. 4 triumphed 7-6(2), 7-6(2) in Beijing and 7-6(7), 4-6, 6-3 in Vienna. Amazingly enough, all four of their showdowns this season have come in finals.
Saturday’s semifinal showdown will certainly feel like a final, because the atmosphere for Sinner inside the Pala Alpitour has been nothing short of raucous. The fans have been rowdy and Sinner has given them exactly what they deserve for their efforts of support: a perfect 3-0 record so far this week. The 22-year-old topped the Green Group with a 6-4, 6-4 rout of Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) upset against Djokovic, and a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Holger Rune.
Medvedev is through to the semifinals at the year-end championship for the third time in his career, seeking his third final appearance (champion in 2020, runner-up in 2021). The third-ranked Russian is the No. 2 seed out of the Red Group after compiling a 2-1 record. He opened with straight-set wins over Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev before falling to Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4 on Friday afternoon.
Although Sinner still trails the head-to-head series 6-2, the vast majority of their meetings have been competitive and their previous Nitto ATP Finals encounter was certainly no exception. In round-robin competition two years ago, Medvedev emerged victorious 10-8 in a third-set tiebreaker.
Another thriller should be in the cards, but this time Sinner may have the edge. He was without question the best player during the group stage and his home-court advantage in front of the Italian crowd is undeniable. His additional confidence from two recent wins over Medvedev is just a bonus as Sinner tries to power his way into what would be an epic 2023 finale against either Djokovic or Alcaraz.
Pick: Sinner in 3
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who ya got?
Not convinced at all by Med. Didn’t play well.against Zverev and Rublev was ill. Beaten very convincingly by Alcaraz.
Way too stubborn and slow to adjust.
played pretty well against Zverev IMO
Med played decent. But honestly zrevev blew that game in the first set. He should have won that set. Was literally up 4-1 in tie break and blew it. Very embarrassing. Med didn’t look good but capitalized on zverev’s errors. Sinner bad back and all will win. Could be in straight sets but won’t be surprised if he wins in 3
In spite of his athleticism and retrieving skills, I think he’ll always have problems against players who are happy near the net, like Al and Sin.
I agree. Sinner also has homefield advantage. Sinner vs Joker rematch from earlier in the week is what’s going to happen. Alcaraz is my favorite but he does not look great rn
We can’t really predict based entirely on the previous match. But I like Sinner as a player more than Medvedev. Whoever is more consistent and aggressive will win. and
Medvedev can win even if he is the less aggressive player
Fantastic match ups….in both semis….but Home Court advantage helps Sinner, in 2.