Paris
Italy’s Jannik Sinner stormed into the semi-finals of the Paris Masters after a strong straight-sets win over American Ben Shelton, moving closer to reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking. Sinner defeated Shelton 6-3, 6-3 in just 70 minutes, marking his seventh consecutive victory against the young American.
With Carlos Alcaraz’s shock early exit to Cameron Norrie, the door is open for Sinner to overtake him in the ATP rankings if he wins the Paris title. The 24-year-old will next face third seed Alexander Zverev, who saved two match points to beat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in a thrilling quarter-final.
Sinner said after the match that he felt confident and composed despite Shelton’s powerful serve. “It was a tough match, but I returned very well and played solid from the baseline,” he stated. He added that he isn’t focused on rankings right now, calling them “a result of how I’m playing.”
The Italian, who has already won the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year, said reaching the Paris semis “means a lot” after a long and successful season.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik reached his first Masters semi-final after a hard-fought 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5 win over Alex de Minaur. He will face Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who eased past Valentin Vacherot 6-2, 6-2.
