The Jannik Sinner-Cameron Norrie flip-flop in the Nitto ATP Finals race is still going strong. Norrie passed Sinner by making a surprise run to the Indian Wells Masters title earlier this month. Sinner passed him back by lifting the European Open Trophy on Sunday.
Sinner’s 6-2, 6-2 rout of Diego Schwartzman propelled the 20-year-old Italian to 10th on the Turin list. He is effectively No. 9 because Rafael Nadal is out for the year, and he is just 110 points behind Hubert Hurkacz for the eighth and final spot. Norrie is a mere five points back of Sinner.
Both Hurkacz and Norrie would have benefited from a Schwartzman win, but the second-seeded Argentine had little chance against an on-fire Sinner. The top seed struck eight aces, won 91 percent of his first-serve points, and saved the only two break points he faced.
“I felt great on court,” Sinner assured. “I moved well. Today I also served better, I think. I felt great, but in tennis every day is different. You have to be careful. I think I played well the whole tournament, to be honest, from the first point to the last point.
“You are the best guy on tour,” he told Schwartzman during the trophy ceremony. “Everyone likes you. You are the best friend of everyone.”
Meanwhile, at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow the home crowd was treated to an Aslan Karatsev triumph. One of the breakout stars of 2021, the Russian rolled over Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-4 in Sunday’s final.
“It is a dream come true,” Karatsev commented. “It is a tournament where I have played in qualifying at and now I am winning the tournament. Thank you for all of your support. It was a very nervous final game, I hit a double fault and then on break point there was that long rally, but I managed to win it in the end.”
The world No. 19 can boost his own Turin hopes with a title this week in St. Petersburg, although no matter what he will need a big result at next week’s Paris Masters.
I’m pretty sure I said Sinner would make the top 12 by end of 2021.
Another one of my ridiculous predictions that came true.
Actually, I think I said 11 or 12, not inside the top 12. That’s pin point accuracy.
Dimitrov was probably the predictioni got most wrong given it wasn’t affected by unknowns (ie injuries).
His whole career has been one of missed opportunities; he’s never been willing to grind out consistenty on the tour but was always willing to turn up unexpected to prove to everyone that the ability always was and still is there.