Sinner crushes Zverev to set up Paris Masters final with Auger-Aliassime
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PARIS :Jannik Sinner continued his quest to reclaim the world number one ranking with a ruthless 6-0 6-1 win over German third seed Alexander Zverev on Saturday, advancing to the Paris Masters final where he will face Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Sinner's path to the top of the ATP rankings was opened up after six-times Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz suffered a shock defeat to unseeded Briton Cameron Norrie in the round of 32 on Tuesday.
A victory for the 24-year-old Italian in Sunday's showdown would see him leapfrog the Spaniard. The battle for the year-end world number one ranking will ultimately be determined at the season-ending ATP Finals in Turin from November 9.
Sinner's win against Zverev saw him extend his remarkable streak of indoor hardcourt victories to 25 matches.
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The four-times major winner, seeded second in Paris, came out firing from the start, breaking Zverev in the opening game and asserting his authority as he coolly dished out a bagel in 30 minutes.
He struck 11 winners in the opener, while Zverev, who appeared to be feeling the effects of his gruelling 2-6 6-3 7-6(5) quarter-final victory over Daniil Medvedev, managed just one.
Zverev finally held his serve in the first game of the second set. However, the 28-year-old had little left in the tank as Sinner closed out the match in just over an hour, booking his first-ever Paris Masters final.
"Obviously I'm happy to be in the final. But it's not how you want to arrive. Playing against Sascha (Zverev) is always a special occasion. Today he was not 100 per cent. We saw that. He was struggling physically," Sinner said.
"He had a very tight schedule in the past months. Yesterday he won an incredible match from two match points down. It's also difficult mentally and physically. He made the final in Vienna, semis here again — it's an incredible run for him. We all hope he gets better and fit for Turin."
Sinner's victory also gave him a narrow 5-4 edge in their head-to-head record, having defeated Zverev in the Vienna Open final last week and the Australian Open final in January.
AUGER-ALIASSIME CONTINUES HOT FORM
Ninth seed Auger-Aliassime boosted his chances of qualifying for the ATP Finals with a 7-6(3) 6-4 victory over Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in the semi-finals of the Paris Masters earlier on Saturday.
The U.S. Open semi-finalist leapfrogged Italy's Lorenzo Musetti into eighth place in the ATP Race to Turin standings and could secure his second ATP Finals appearance after 2022 if he wins Sunday's final.
"I'm so happy. A Masters 1000 final sounds so good. You don't play those finals every week. Hopefully, I can go all the way and get the title," Auger-Aliassime said.
"I have deep self-confidence in my game, I know what I can do against the best players in the world but you still have to go and execute. Today I did really well and I'm happy with the result."
The opening set was a serving clinic from both players, with neither conceding a break or even a break point. Locked at 6-6, the set went to a tiebreak, where Auger-Aliassime seized a 4-2 lead and closed it out comfortably.
In a scrappy second set, 13th seed Bublik started brightly, breaking Auger-Aliassime early to take a 2-0 lead. However, the Canadian world number 10 responded immediately by breaking back, drawing frustration from Bublik, who smashed his racket.
Bublik recovered to take a 4-1 lead but Auger-Aliassime came to life, reeling off five straight games to seal his place in the final in one hour and 36 minutes.
Auger-Aliassime showcased his serving prowess in the first set, firing 10 aces compared to Bublik's four. The 25-year-old Canadian also delivered 31 winners overall, more than double the tally of his opponent.
Auger-Aliassime is chasing his fourth title of the season, having triumphed in Brussels, Montpellier and Adelaide.
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