Jannik Sinner reaches ATP Finals semis, sets up potential showdown with Carlos Alcaraz

    Jannik Sinner kept his bid for the year-end No. 1 ranking alive by reaching the ATP Finals semi-finals with a thrilling victory over Alexander Zverev in front of his home crowd.

    Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals Jannik Sinner at the ATP Finals

    Zverev challenged Sinner in a tightly contested first set but failed to capitalise on his opportunities, squandering seven break points before faltering at key moments in a 6-4, 6-3 defeat.

    "A very, very competitive match, a very close match," said Sinner. "I felt like I was serving very well in important moments. I tried to play the best tennis possible when it mattered, which fortunately went my way.

    "We both changed a little bit tactically, so I felt like we both were trying to hit quite fast, quite flat, but I’m very happy with how I returned his serve.

    "It’s very difficult. One of the best serves in the game. The group I’m in, with Sascha (Zverev) and Ben (Shelton), it’s very difficult to return their serves."

    This was another polished performance from Zverev, as he lifted his game in the key moments and won an impressive 83 percent of his first serve points.

    His success in saving seven break points was crucial to the outcome of the match, as he won two of the four break point chances he had against Zverev.

    Sinner out-aced Zverev 12-7 and that was an impressive effort against one of the biggest servers in tennis, with the service motion he was keen to improve after his US Open final defeat against Alcaraz in September in impressive working order.

    Remarkably, Sinner has now won 28 successive matches in indoor conditions, and he suggested the conditions in Turin are suiting him.

    "I feel like indoors suits my game style very well," he added. "You don’t have the wind, you don’t have the sun, you always have the same feeling on the court and it always helps you feel more comfortable."

    This win against Zverev took his prize money for the ATP Finals to $1,124,000. That allowed him to move through the $15m barrier for 2025 and if you throw in the $6m he collected for winning the Six Kings Slam exhibition event last month.

    His battle for the year-end world No 1 position with Alcaraz will continue into what will be a crucial Thursday, with the Spaniard getting his first chance to wrap up the prestigious ranking if he can beat Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday.

    If Alcaraz is beaten by Sinner’s Italian compatriot, there are some scenarios that would see Sinner take on Alcaraz in the semi-finals in Turin on Saturday, where the world No 1 ranking could be on the line.