Jannik Sinner one win away from achieving ATP Finals feat that eluded Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer
Jannik Sinner has played 10 sets so far at the 2024 ATP Finals in Turin and he has won all 10 of those sets.
The Italian is now just one two-set victory away from becoming the first man since Ivan Lendl in 1986 to win the ATP season-ending tournament without dropping a set.
Tennis greats Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras won multiple ATP Finals trophies, but they all failed to win a title without dropping a set.
Djokovic won a record-breaking seventh title last year when he defeated Sinner in straight sets in the final, but he dropped three sets during the group phase.
The Serbian also reached the 2018 ATP Finals finale without dropping a set, but he was then beaten 6-4, 6-3 in the final by Alexander Zverev.
But Sinner can now achieve a record that eluded the three greats after brushing Casper Ruud aside in the semi-final to make it back-to-back finals in Turin, winning 6-1, 6-2 in 70 minutes to notch up his fourth consecutive straight-set victory at the Inalpi Arena.
“It’s a very similar circumstance to last year as we have already played in the round-robin. I just try to play the best I can tomorrow,” the 23-year-old said. “From last year to now I feel I have more experience and have grown as a player. Hopefully it will be a good day after a very positive week and a very positive year.”
The world No 1 won his three round-robin matches 6–3, 6–4 against Daniil Medvedev, 6–4, 6–4 against Taylor Fritz and 6–3, 6–4 against Alex de Minaur.
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Sinner has won 48 games and lost only 25 en route to the final and he is on course for another record of least number of sets games conceded.
Back in 1986, Lendl reached the final by winning 49 games with 29 games lost, but there is a catch as the tournament was best-of-five sets back in the day.
Lendl went on to beat Boris Becker 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 in the final as he lifted the season-ending trophy for a fourth time.
Sinner will start Sunday’s final on a 10-match winning streak while he has won 25 of his last 26 matches with that one defeat coming against Carlos Alcaraz in the China Open final.
The Italian will face Fritz in Sunday’s final in what is not only a rematch of the group match, but also of this year’s US Open final when Sinner won in straight sets at Flushing Meadows.
Fritz, the first American man to reach the finale since James Blake in 2006, is looking to become the sixth man from the United States to win the season-ending tournament.