'Perfect' Sinner tops Nastase group with Medvedev victory

It was business as usual for Jannik Sinner on Thursday as he maintained the perfect start to his Nitto ATP Finals campaign, eliminating Daniil Medvedev in the process. 

The top seed produced a steely performance to ease past Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 in their final round-robin match in Turin. After seeing off the 2020 champion, Sinner ensured he finished top of the Ilie Nastase Group, advancing to the last four with a perfect 3-0 record for a second consecutive year.

Joining Sinner in the semi-finals is Taylor Fritz, who earlier rallied to secure a vital win over Alex de Minaur. Fritz will be competing in the semi-finals at the season finale for a second time, having made it to the knockout stage on his debut in 2022. 

“I'm trying to find new ways to improve as a player,” said Sinner, who improved to 7-1 in round-robin matches at the Nitto ATP Finals. “I'm trying to win as many matches here as I can. Me and Daniil, we know each other very well. So, everytime we step on court, we try to change something tactically. I felt like I was ready to see what he was going to do today.

“I know what I have achieved during this year, so I try to step on court with a good mindset. I have beautiful people around me who support me daily, which for me is really important. I try to enjoy my time on the court. The atmosphere here is amazing, so I’m just trying to play some good tennis this week. Let’s see what’s coming in the next round.”

Sinner tops Ilie Nastase group! ?@janniksin | #NittoATPFinals pic.twitter.com/mNO0h5q1hJ

Medvedev reeled off three consecutive games in the second set to spark hopes of a comeback, but it was short lived as Sinner dialled back in to seal a 73-minute triumph. With his latest victory over Medvedev, Sinner moved in front in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series (8-7) for the first time, having won eight of their past nine meetings.

Sinner, who is bidding to join Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic as the only men to win the Australian Open, US Open and Nitto ATP Finals in the same year, will continue his campaign against the runner-up of the John Newcombe Group. While Alexander Zverev currently tops the group with Casper Ruud in second, it is all to play for in Friday’s action, where Zverev will take on Carlos Alcaraz and Ruud faces Andrey Rublev. 

Sinner’s vastly improved serve has been pivotal in his ascent to No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, and it was on full display during Thursday’s clash. The 23-year-old dropped just two points behind serve in the opening set, according to Infosys ATP Stats. The Italian was, however, assisted by a sub-par Medvedev, who fired 30 unforced errors throughout the contest.

With his ninth straight victory, Sinner has levelled Zverev with 68 wins in 2024, becoming the first duo to achieve this feat in a season since Novak Djokovic (82) and Andy Murray (51) in 2015.