Jannik Sinner starts ATP Finals defence strongly, beating Felix Auger-Aliassime in Turin.
Turin
Italy’s Jannik Sinner kicked off his ATP Finals title defence with an assured 7-5, 6-1 victory over Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime before a raucous home crowd in Turin. The win also keeps Sinner’s hopes alive of finishing the year as world No. 1, though he must win the season-ending event and rely on Carlos Alcaraz not reaching the final.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked eighth, appeared hampered by a left calf issue that worsened near the end of the first set. He was treated twice by a trainer during the second set, allowing Sinner to seize momentum and close out the match.
“It was very tough until 6-5 and then he had a physical issue,” Sinner said. “It’s a special tournament and place for me.” Sinner, who won the title in Turin last year without dropping a set, has now beaten Auger-Aliassime in all four encounters this year, including the U.S. Open semifinal and Paris Masters final.
The home crowd celebrated enthusiastically, chanting “Ole, ole, ole. Sin-ner, Sin-ner” during Sinner’s on-court interview. He won 89% of points on his first serve, claiming 32 out of 36, underlining his dominance.
Earlier, American Taylor Fritz defeated late replacement Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4. Musetti, who arrived in Turin only on Sunday after Novak Djokovic’s withdrawal, struggled physically and mentally, while Fritz, a former finalist, showed experience and composure.
Sinner and Alexander Zverev now lead the Bjorn Borg group with one win each, while Fritz and Alcaraz top the Jimmy Connors group. The top two from each group will advance to the semifinals, with Tuesday’s matches set to feature Fritz versus Alcaraz and Musetti against Alex de Minaur.
