ATP Finals 2024: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner comfortably beats Taylor Fritz on home soil in straight sets to top group

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Jannik Sinner beat Taylor Fritz at the ATP Finals in Turin 6-4 6-4 to remain undefeated in the round robin stages. The Italian seems to relish playing on home soil, with the partisan crowd cheering his every move as he beat Fritz for the second time this year. The result lifts Sinner to the top of the group, while Fritz is second with one win and one loss from his opening two matches.

Sinner continues imperious form with straight-sets victory over Fritz

Video credit: SNTV

Jannik Sinner continued his winning ways on home soil as the world No. 1 got the better of Taylor Fritz in straight sets at the ATP Finals.

The Italian emerged from an entertaining evening encounter with a 6-4 6-4 victory in 1 hour and 50 minutes, a result that lifted him to the top of the Ilie Nastase group.

An evenly-matched first set featured just one break of serve, and when Fritz went wide with a backhand at 4-5 in the second set, the win went to the Italian - much to the delight of the fans.

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Sinner really announced himself as a serious contender at the top of the men’s game on this stage last year when he beat Novak Djokovic in the group stages, and he seems to feed off playing at home.

"It was a very tough match," Sinner said in his on-court interview. "We got to know each other very well in the Grand Slam [US Open] final, and today was very aggressive.

"I just tried to serve well in the important moments. He was serving really, really well - I was struggling to return his serve. It was an important game for me and I'm pleased I got through.

"The crowd is helping me a lot, this is a very special occasion for me. I'm just glad I can show some good tennis like today and I'm looking forward to what is to come."

'Crowd is helping me a lot' - Sinner enjoying home advantage at ATP Finals

Video credit: SNTV

These two had already met on the grandest of stages this year, Sinner prevailing in straight sets in the US Open final.

And with both having won their opening round matches in Turin, there was an opportunity for the winner to put one foot in the semi-finals.

It was Sinner who came under the early pressure on his serve, Fritz getting a break point in the seventh game thanks to an errant backhand from the Italian.

He couldn’t take the opportunity, but nor could Sinner in the next game, when he was 0-40 on the Fritz serve.

But Sinner did find the breakthrough at 5-4, some sharp returns putting early pressure on Fritz’s serve before the American finally coughed up the break at 15-40, a fist bump from Sinner testament to how hard he had to work to grind out the opening set in 50 minutes.

Sinner started the second set brightly, with Fritz unable to get any traction in his opponent’s service games and looking increasingly frustrated.

Strong behind his serve, willing to play perfectly weighted drop shots and quick to chase down to the net when Fritz tried the same trick, Sinner’s game looked impenetrable.

He had the home crowd on their feet with an audacious backhand down the line after drawing Fritz into the net at 30-30 in the seventh game, cupping an ear in celebration as his fans tried to lift the roof off the Inalpi Arena.

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Fritz didn’t play badly in the second set - nor the first - but he was left looking dejected as Sinner just kept finding the lines.

The American gave his opponent a sniff when serving to stay in the match, and Sinner needed no second invitation. A deep ground stroke caught Fritz off-guard, and his backhand went wide to end a high-quality contest.

Despite Daniil Medvedev having beaten Alex de Minaur earlier on, the result leaves Fritz second in the group. Sinner will play Medvedev in his final round-robin match on Thursday, while Fritz takes on De Minaur.

Carlos Alcaraz plays Andrey Rublev in the afternoon match on Wednesday, before Alexander Zverev faces Casper Ruud in the evening.

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