Jannik Sinner, who will end the year as world No.1, and Novak Djokovic face each other this Sunday in the final of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai after having respectively beaten the Czech Tomas Machac (33rd) 6-4, 7-5 and the American Taylor Fritz (7th) 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).
Sinner aims for 65th victory
Sinner, 23, who has reigned on the ATP circuit since June, is now assured of becoming the first Italian to end the year at the top of the hierarchy, even before the last major tournaments of the season, including the Masters (ATP Finals), which will bring together the eight best players in the world from November 10 to 17 in Turin, in his country.
“I am very happy to achieve this. It’s been an incredible year for me, and it’s not over,” commented the player after his semi-final.
Already a winner in Cincinnati and Miami this year, the Italian qualified for his third Masters 1000 final of the season, the sixth of his career.
If successful this Sunday, the winner of the Australian Open and the US Open, still entangled in a doping affair, would reach the figure of 65 victories this season, beating his 2023 performance.
Djokovic towards a 100th title
DjokovicOlympic champion in Paris, has not played in an ATP final since his defeat at Wimbledon against Carlos Alcaraz, but he will have the opportunity to win his 100th title on Sunday.
The Serbian, 37, leads 4-3 against Sinner in their direct confrontations but has lost their last two duels, including the semi-final of the Australian Open in January, at a time when he still occupied the number one spot. a global one.
The ‘Djoker’ will try to win a fifth time in his Shanghai garden, a record, and win his first Masters 1000 of the season. Since 2018, he has always won in at least one Masters 1000 each year.
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