Djokovic opened the year-end tournament with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-3 victory over eighth-seeded Holger Rune before losing 5-7, 7-6, 6-7 to Sinner. He then beat Hubert Hurkacz 7-6, 4-6, 6-1 to confirm his place in the semi-finals.
In the semi-final, the Serbian faced Carlos Alcaraz and won the first set 6-3, breaking the Spaniard’s serve in the eighth game. He continued his domination in the second set and won it 6-2, thus ensuring his place in the ATP final for the ninth time in his career.
Sinner started the championship with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas. He then beat Djokovic 7-5, 6-7, 7-6 and then defeated Holger Rune 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win the Green Group and reach the semi-finals in Turin.
In the semifinals, the Italian faced third seed Daniil Medvedev and won the first set 6-3 after breaking the Russian’s serve in the fourth game. The second set was close and neither player broke. A tiebreak ensued and Medvedev won it, turning the third set into a decider.
Sinner dominated the final set, winning it 6–1 and reaching the final of the ATP Finals, becoming the first Italian player to do so in singles or doubles.
Djokovic leads 3-1 in matches against Sinner. However, the Italian emerged victorious in the last meeting between them in Turin.
Prediction for the match Novak Djokovic – Jannik Sinner
Djokovic may have lost the last time he faced Sinner, but his form, experience and recent performance against Carlos Alcaraz make him the favorite for the match. However, Sinner has played incredible tennis over the past few months and will be in great spirits after winning each of his matches in Turin.
Djokovic won 174 of 225 balls (77.3%) on his first serve of the tournament with 38 aces. He also has 129 winning shots and 35 unforced errors.
Sinner will undoubtedly struggle against the versatile Serbian, and the Italian can be expected to face serious serving challenges given the world number one’s reception in the semi-final against Alcaraz.
Sinner delivered an incredible performance on his first serve of the tournament, with 179 out of 216 (82.9%) and 45 aces. The Italian also completed 123 winners with 39 unforced errors.
Sinner will rely heavily on his serve, which will be tested by Djokovic. He will look to play aggressively from the baseline and possibly drive the Serb off the field.
However, in a match like this, composure will be crucial. Djokovic is very famous for his mentality. Sinner also looks strong mentally and the crowd will be on his side. If the Italian manages to keep his cool, he has a good chance of beating the Serbian again and winning the ATP Finals.
Forecast: Sinner would win in three sets.
Vyacheslav Gorbachev/Athletistic
Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
