Top-seeded Jannik Sinner of Italy triumphed over Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic with a score of 6-4, 7-5 in the men's singles semifinals at the Shanghai Masters held in Shanghai Municipality, east China, on Saturday. This victory propels Sinner into the final, where he will compete against Serbia's 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The Italian player faced early challenges, surrendering a break in his first service game. However, Sinner quickly bounced back by breaking Machac in the fourth game, leveling the first set at 2-2. Demonstrating resilience, he held his serve in the ninth game and converted a crucial break point in the 10th to secure a 1-0 lead in the match.
The second set was fiercely contested. Machac generated two break points in the eighth game, but Sinner successfully defended against both opportunities. In a dramatic turn during the 12th game, Sinner broke Machac once more to clinch the victory, marking his first appearance in the Shanghai Masters final.
With World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain exiting in the quarterfinals after a loss to Machac, Sinner is now assured the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) year-end No. 1 ranking, a position he has held since early June.
Reflecting on his achievement, Sinner expressed, \"It's amazing. It's something you dream of when you are a kid, when you are young, just to reach the No. 1. Now having the year-end, it's also a different and special feeling. It means so much to me, obviously. This is something I could not accomplish without all the people I have around – the family and friends – and also a big credit to my team.\"
Reference(s):
Jannik Sinner to meet Novak Djokovic in Shanghai Masters final
cgtn.com
