Jannik Sinner moved to his 67th win of the season with a clinical display against Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals on Tuesday.
A cool, calm, and collected display from the world number one – well, what’s new?
Jannik Sinner is making tennis look remarkably straightforward at the moment, with this latest win over America’s valiant Taylor Fritz his 27th victory in his last 28.
A rematch of this year’s US Open final, Fritz was unable to pick up a set once again despite playing his part in a sensational match.
The Italian broke just twice throughout the contest, with both pivotal moments coming at 5-4 in each set to hand him the victory.
Topping the group in the process, Sinner has now won his last three matches against the American, dropping just a single set out of eight.
Jannik Sinner highlights the two shots that impressed him most about Taylor Fritz
Previously accused of being a bit of a one-trick pony, Fritz has made sure to develop his game beyond just a huge serve.
While blistering ball-striking is still certainly his and indeed Sinner’s brand of tennis, the American is moving better and competing with more variety this year – qualities that have helped propel him back into the top five.
While the Italian managed to produce a truly superb hour and 40 minutes of tennis, he admitted that Fritz’s serve and second serve returns were the two shots that caused him a few issues.
He said on Sky Sports’ coverage: “All things considered I think I played a great match today. Also I felt he was playing some great tennis, serving very well and trying to get into the rallies in the return games. I am happy about that and happy about the win.”
Quizzed on his slightly deeper return position, Sinner continued: “These are moments where you have to make choices sometimes, this was my choice today.
“These are some great matches where I learn some stuff and what works best for me. I felt like we both were returning really, really well, especially second serve returns so it was a great match.”
The Italian, who reached the final last year, now faces up against Daniil Medvedev to confirm his spot in the semi-finals and continue his quest for the title.
Medvedev, a champion in 2020, recovered from an erratic display against Fritz in his opening match to see off Alex de Minaur in straight sets in Tuesday’s earlier match.
What is Jannik Sinner’s record against Daniil Medvedev?
The pair are currently tied at 7-7 in their head-to-head record, but their recent matches tell a slightly one-sided story, leaning heavily in Sinner’s favor.
The Italian has claimed victory in seven of their last eight matches, showcasing a growing dominance over the Russian.
They’ve faced off three times in the last three months – at the US Open, Shanghai Masters, and the Six Kings Slam – with Sinner winning all three encounters and dropping only one set, which came in New York.
Most recently, in Saudi Arabia, Sinner delivered a commanding 6-0, 6-3 win in just 68 minutes, a performance Medvedev will certainly be eager to prevent repeating.
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