Novak Djokovic’s clenched fist and proud shout to get rid of Carlos Alcaraz by a resounding 6-3 and 6-2. The number 1 imposed the law in the Nitto ATP Finals that he has won six times. His next rival will be the local idol Jannik Sinner who defeated Daniil Medvedev by 6-3, 6-7 (4) and 6-1.
The Serbian tennis player gave no options and in an hour and a half he ended the hopes of an Alcaraz who entered the court with very clear ideas. Aggressive, brave and focused. He couldn’t take even a step back from a Djokovic who, whenever he can, subjects his rivals to constant pressure. It was their fifth meeting (2-2) and they already know each other very well.
The Murcian missed two break points in the first game to break the serve of the Serbian who avoided it with his serve. Also with the serve (5 ‘aces’ and 67% of first serves) he defended himself Alcaraz until, in the first mistake, Djokovic He snatched it away to go ahead 5-3 and close the game blank, giving him the first set in 41 minutes.
Djokovic He continued to push in the second set to make a new break (2-1). The world number 1 imposed controlled tennis, with hardly any errors and fine-tuning the rest. The Serbian missed a new break point to make the score 4-1, but Alcaraz saved the situation. The Murcian was encouraged, he had Djokovic on the ropes with a 15-40 on the next serve, in a game of more than eight minutes, with electric points and the two tennis players celebrating the best points and asking for the applause of the 13,000 fans who filled the Pala Alpitour in Turin.
Rematch against Sinner
Djokovic He saved the situation to make it 4-2 and make a new break and close the match conclusively. This Sunday, in the final (6:00 p.m., Movistar), awaits him on the other side of the net. The Italian tennis player arrives undefeated at the event, after winning the previous four matches. It will be revenge for the one they played in the group stage in which Sinner won 7-5, 6-7 (5) and 7-6 (2).
“It’s going to be a very complicated match,” said the Italian before facing Djokovic whom they have only won on one occasion out of the four in which they have faced each other so far.
This season Sinner He has won four titles (Montpellier, Vienna and the 1,000 Masters in Toronto and Beijing), in addition to 18 victories on indoor courts with only one defeat in the final in Rotterdam against Medvedev. The Russian tennis player had beaten Sinner on six of the eight occasions they had met before, but this Saturday, at the Pala Alpitour, the Italian achieved his third consecutive victory after beating him in the finals in Beijing and Vienna.
Sinner He has dominated the match thanks to his powerful and effective serve with which he has won 56 games out of 58 in the tournament (an efficiency of 96.5%). In view of Medvedev He has achieved 10 aces and 83% points with the first serve, with only a couple of break points against him in the 2 hours and 25 minutes of the match. “If he plays like this in recent weeks, he will win several Grand Slams and be number 1,” he said. Medvedev after the defeat.
Granollers, doubles finalist
Marcel Granollers He will be in the doubles final this Sunday (3:00 p.m., Movistar) alongside the Argentine Horacio Zeballos after defeating the couple formed by the Indian Rohan Bopanna and the Australian Matthew Ebden by 7-5 and 6-4.
The Catalan-Argentine couple had been eliminated in the semifinals of the tournament in 2020 and in 2021 this time they will be in their first final together in the masters tournament where they will face the American for the title Rajeev Ram and the british Joe Salisbury who defeated the Mexican Santiago Gonzalez and the french Edouard Roger-Vasselin by 7-6 (7), 3-6 and 10-7, in the ‘super tie break’.
“I was a teacher 11 years ago, so I don’t remember much.. We are in the final. We have to continue the same. “We have played other important finals and we have to be focused on maintaining the level we are giving here in Turin,” he said. Granollerschampion in 2012 with Marc Lopez.
Next to Zeballos The 37-year-old Catalan tennis player has previously played in the finals of Wimbledon (2021 and 2023) and the United States Open (2019), all lost. He has eight titles on the circuit in his record.