Jannik Sinner continued his mastery over Alex de Minaur on Saturday with a straight-sets win to reach the ATP Finals championship match for the third year in a row.
World No 2 Sinner had to dig deep to get his first break of the match, which tipped the first set in his favour. The Italian took the first four games of the second set to ensure a 7-5, 6-2 victory, backed by a supportive crowd at Turin's Palasport Olimpico.
Sinner broke late in the first set and then pulled away from De Minaur to complete his 13th win in as many meetings with the Australian.
The Italian World No2 has yet to drop a service game en route to the final. He will try to defend his title on Sunday against top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz or Felix Auger-Aliassime.
"It is the last event of the year and it is great to finish in this way," said Sinner.
"It was a very tough match, especially at the beginning of the first set. I felt like he was serving great, very precise.
"In the second set, I broke very early and then my level rose. I tried to be a bit more aggressive and it worked well but it was a tough match."
Seventh seed De Minaur fended off two break points to hold the opening game of the match and was on the verge of a break after going 40-0 up in the second, but Sinner held his nerve.
Neither player could get a break as the match stayed even until the 11th game, when Sinner's perfectly angled backhand evaded a stumbling De Minaur to put the Italian 6-5 ahead. Sinner held the next game with ease to clinch the first set.
Sinner dominated the second set, bringing up match point with a strong backhand volley before sealing victory with a powerful forehand that was well outside De Minaur's reach.
Sinner has won his last 18 sets played in Turin, where he beat Taylor Fritz in last year's final. The four-time Grand Slam champion is on a 30-match winning streak on indoor hard courts.
The 24-year-old Sinner hasn't dropped a set at the ATP Finals since losing the 2023 final to Novak Djokovic.
"Making the final for three consecutive years means a lot to me," added Sinner.
"It is a great atmosphere for me to play tennis and a great place for me to close this beautiful season. Tomorrow I will enjoy and try my best to get the best possible result."
