Two months after a one-sided duel in New York, Jannik Sinner, the first Italian to win the US Open, and Taylor Fritz meet again on Sunday in Turin for an ATP Masters final which could mark their careers.
For his third participation in the “masters tournament” which brings together the eight best players of the year, Sinner, 23, has achieved a flawless performance so far.
After having topped his group with three victories, including one against Fritz (6-4, 6-4), without conceding a single set, the big redhead gave a lesson to Casper Ruud, dominated 6-1, 6-2, in the semi-final on Saturday.
The Norwegian, 7th in the world, never worried the Italian, pushed by a supercharged Inalpi Arena which dreams of seeing him win his eighth title of the year, the 18th of his career and, more importantly, the first in Italy .
“I’m very happy with my match, I served well, returned well and negotiated the break points well that he had at 3-1,” said Sinner.
“It’s special to find myself in the final again in front of this audience, I have more experience than last year and I hope that tomorrow will be a great day for me after a very good year,” he said. -he added.
“More painful defeat”
To succeed Novak Djokovic, who beat him in the final in 2023 and who, qualified for this last tournament of the year, withdrew due to injury, Sinner will now have to beat a player with full confidence and revenge.
Fritz caused a sensation by ending the season of world No.2 Alexander Zverev who remained on an impressive streak of eight consecutive victories.
The American, 5th in the world, won 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3) after more than two hours of intense play.
As one might expect, this duel between two of the most formidable server-sluggers on the circuit came down to details.
While he was on the verge of breaking in the decisive set with five break points to annihilate, Fritz made the difference in the decisive game thanks to a boost from his opponent who gave him three points with three backhands too much. long.
The American is becoming the bane of Zverev who conceded a fourth consecutive defeat.
“This defeat is perhaps more painful (than the others), it will be more difficult to digest, because I think I produced better tennis than him in the second and third sets,” said the German, who played his 90th match of the year and who found himself “a little physically drained” during the match.
First American coronation since 1999?
At 27 years old Fritz, winner of the Masters 1000 at Indian Wells in 2022, can offer himself the most important title of his career.
It can also end a long drought for the United States: we have to go back to 1999 to find any trace of the last American, Pete Sampras, to have won the “masters tournament”.
“I’m one of the best players in the world, it’s not the results that say that, but what I feel,” explained the Californian.
“Since the final of the US Open (lost 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 against Sinner, Editor’s note), I have made a lot of improvements to my game. This final, I played badly , I served poorly,” he said.
And even if he has already lost against Sinner this week for the Italian’s third victory in four confrontations, Fritz is not starting out beaten in advance.
“I had my chances in this match, it was closer than the score suggests. He is world No. 1, he is confident, but I know what I have to do to beat him,” he warned.
