Jannik Sinner has made a dream start at the Nitto ATP Finals in front of the home crowd in Turin, Italy.
Sinner improved to 2-0 in the Green Group when he upset Novak Djokovic 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) after three hours and nine minutes on Tuesday night. Sinner did not get broken a single time in the first two sets, gave back a break at 4-2 in the third, and then regained his composure to play a brilliant final-set tiebreaker.
🤩 JANNIK WINNER 🤩@janniksin records a first EVER win over Djokovic 7-5 6-7 7-6 to hand the World No.1 his first loss since Wimbledon!#NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/N6LXyV238L
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 14, 2023
“It means a lot to me,” Sinner said when asked where this ranks among all of his victories. “I don’t know where, exactly, but when you win against the world No. 1 and he won 24 Grand Slams, it’s obviously in the top-top.
“It’s part of the process,” the 22-year-old continued. “I feel that I’m a little bit more confident in certain moments in a match. I guess I still have to learn many things. In the tiebreaker in the second set he played better than me and I missed a couple first serves. I think I was really brave and intelligent in important moments, especially in the third set. I felt like we both serving really, really well so there were not so many exchanges. But then when exchanges were played, we both played really, really well. It was a really high-level match.”
The Tuesday session was much less exciting, as Stefanos Tsitsipas retired just three games into his match against Holger Rune due to a back injury. Tsitsipas’ withdrawal from the event means alternate Hubert Hurkacz will face Djokovic on Thursday. Sinner, Djokovic, and Rune are all still alive for semifinal qualification and no one has clinched a spot through two matches.
Competition in the Red Group resumes on Wednesday; it will be Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz vs. Andrey Rublev.
wow
Jannik arrives
‘Tsitsipas’ withdrawal from the event means alternate Hubert Hurkacz will face Djokovic on Thursday.”
Things just don’t get an easier for Djokovic; Hurkacz is in great form and will relish the opportunity.
How many tough three-setters can he handle against the younger brigade? He must be getting stretched now, and not being able to win the big cheque has to dent his prospects. Is the pain against a highly motivated younger group really worth it when he’s already secured the year-end number one ranking?
ND’s motivation is unlimited, it seems. After the Alcaraz defeat, we thought it would be all-Carlitos. Well . . .
Sinner should’ve won it in two.
Sinner comes of age. Fantastic performance, strong and brave.