Defending champion Jannik Sinner booked his place in the ATP Finals semifinals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday in Turin. Earlier in the day, Ben Shelton was eliminated after a tough loss to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Bjorn Borg Group.
Sinner extended his indoor hardcourt winning streak to 28 matches, though he faced early pressure from Zverev in both sets. “A very, very competitive match, a very close match,” Sinner said. “I felt like I was serving very well in important moments. I tried to play the best tennis possible when it mattered, which fortunately went my way.”
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The Italian capitalized on key opportunities, saving break points with precise aces and clever drop shots. After surviving two break points at 5-4 in the first set, he closed it out at the net. In the second, Sinner overcame a 0-40 start to his service game and later broke Zverev at 4-2, finishing with a decisive backhand down the line. The win marked Sinner’s third victory over Zverev in 17 days.
Sinner now aims to stay undefeated to retain his title and maintain a chance at ending the year as world No. 1, while Carlos Alcaraz needs just one more win to secure his top ranking. Alcaraz will play Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday, with Taylor Fritz facing Alex de Minaur.
In earlier action, Auger-Aliassime recovered from a set down to defeat Shelton 4-6, 7-6(7), 7-5. Shelton, who dominated the opening set, faltered in a tense second-set tiebreak and made costly errors in the decider. Auger-Aliassime will meet Zverev on Friday, with a semifinal spot at stake.