Jannik Sinner continued his unbeaten start to this year’s ATP Finals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Taylor Fritz.
Sinner had won his opening match against Alex de Minaur, with Fritz also winning in his first outing in Turin against Daniil Medvedev.
Their second group outing was arguably the best of the ATP Finals so far, as both Fritz and Sinner played at a very high level for two sets.
In a rematch of this year’s US Open Final, Fritz fought valiantly against a clinical Sinner, who had the full backing of a vibrant Italian crowd.
It was a break in each set that eventually did the job for Sinner, however, as he beat the American, just as he did in New York.
Fritz will now set his sights on Alex de Minaur, knowing that a big win could still see him reach the last four in Turin.
One tennis legend thinks that Fritz will take a lot of confidence from his defeat to Sinner into the rest of the tournament.
Tim Henman says Taylor Fritz will gain self belief from his competitive defeat to Jannik Sinner
Speaking to Sky Sports post-match, former British number one Tim Henman said that he was impressed with how Fritz fought during the match.
“I think that emphasised his self belief,” he said.
“He wasn’t going to be out there in his shell because he was against the world number one and 12,500 Italians.
“I think it was important that he expressed himself to really show that he had the belief he could cause the upset.
“For me he was close.”
Henman went on to say that Fritz will learn a lot from the defeat.
“I think he will learn a lot from this match,” he said.
“If anything it was a bit closer than the first two sets of the final of the US Open.
“I think a match of this nature and playing in front of Sinner’s home people, I think it might instill more belief in Fritz that he is getting close to causing one of these big upsets.”
2024 ATP Finals continues with strange trend
The 2024 ATP Finals has been entertaining from what we’ve seen so far, but one thing that we are yet to see is a third set.
Six matches have come and gone in the singles, and not one has needed a deciding set, a strange trend compared to what we’ve seen in recent years.
| Year | Matches before a deciding set | Match |
| 2023 | 1 | Novak Djokovic v Holger Rune |
| 2022 | 4 | Novak Djokovic V Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| 2021 | 2 | Daniil Medvedev V Hubert Hurkacz |
| 2020 | 2 | Dominic Thiem V Stefanos Tsitsipas |
| 2019 | 5 | Dominic Thiem V Novak Djokovic |
| 2018 | 7 | Marin Cilic V John Isner |
| 2017 | 1 | Alexander Zverev V Marin Cilic |
| 2016 | 2 | Novak Djokovic V Dominic Thiem |
| 2015 | 5 | Kei Nishikori V Tomas Berdych |
| 2014 | 9 | Kei Nishikori V David Ferrer |
Just twice in the past decade have we had to wait this long for a third and deciding set at the tour finals.
Kei Nishikori’s 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over David Ferrer in 2014, was the first deciding set in nine matches, the longest wait in the last ten years.
The Turin fans will be hoping to see a longer match on Wednesday as Carlos Alcaraz takes on Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev faces off against Casper Ruud.
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