Defending champion Jannik Sinner secured his place in the ATP Finals semi-finals on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-3 win over two-time winner Alexander Zverev, while Ben Shelton was eliminated after losing earlier to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the same group.
Sinner stretched his indoor hardcourt winning streak to 28 matches, though the victory was tougher than the scoreline suggested as world No. 2 faced early pressure in both sets.
“It was a very competitive, very close match,” Sinner said. “I served well in the important moments and tried to play my best when it mattered.”
Both players had won their opening Bjorn Borg Group matches, and on Wednesday Sinner saved seven break points while Zverev faced only four. The Italian relied on timely aces and sharp drop shots to weather the challenges.
After surviving two break points in the opening game, Sinner produced four aces to hold after a nine-minute battle. He missed two break points at 5-4 but still closed out the first set with a clever move to the net.
Sinner again steadied himself from 0-40 down in his first service game of the second set. Zverev continued to threaten, but Sinner kept his composure, breaking for a 4-2 lead with a deft sliced drop shot. The German pushed back but could not break through, eventually falling to Sinner for the third time in 17 days.
Sinner must remain undefeated to stay in contention for the year-end No. 1 ranking, while Carlos Alcaraz needs one more win to ensure he keeps the top spot. Alcaraz next faces Lorenzo Musetti, with Taylor Fritz meeting Alex de Minaur in the day’s other Jimmy Connors Group match.
AUGER-ALIASSIME CLAIMS FIRST WIN
Felix Auger-Aliassime rallied from a set down to defeat Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5, leaving the American winless after also losing to Zverev.
Shelton dominated the opening set but saw frustration boil over when he failed to serve it out, smashing his racket after Auger-Aliassime broke back for 5-4 before the American recovered to take the set.
The second-set tiebreak swung Canada’s way after Shelton slipped and injured his knee. Auger-Aliassime opened a 3-0 lead, and although Shelton saved three set points, a double fault handed over the set.
Auger-Aliassime held break points early in the third but had to wait until the final game, capitalising when Shelton handed him multiple match points. The Canadian will face Zverev on Friday with a semi-final spot at stake.
