World no. 1 and the home favorite Jannik Sinner is off to a winning start at the ATP Finals in Turin. The top favorite for the title faced Alex de Minaur in the first round-robin match and produced a 6-3, 6-4 victory in an hour and 25 minutes, topping the group with Taylor Fritz after the opening day. Jannik extended his winning streak against Alex, beating him for the eighth time from as many duels.
Jannik outplays Alex on serve and return
The Italian landed 15 service winners and dropped ten points in ten service games. He lost serve once from the only break chance offered to his opponent and kept the pressure on the other side. The Aussie could not follow that pace, landing only eight unreturned serves and dropping 44% of the points behind the initial shot. De Minaur played against seven break points and experienced three breaks to extend his terrible run against world no. 1. Jannik landed 19 winners and 20 unforced errors, missing from his backhand but taming his strokes nicely. He reduced his opponent to seven winners and 21 mistakes, outplaying him from the baseline and at the net and moving over the top in style. Alex built a slight edge in the most extended rallies. However, he struggled in the shortest and mid-range ones, unable to impose his strokes and be more aggressive.
Jannik Sinner & Alex de Minaur, ATP Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
Sinner overcomes a slow start and takes the opener
Jannik held at love in the opening game of the match but struggled at 1-1, spraying a backhand error and suffering an early break. World no. 1 bounced back instantly, cracking a backhand crosscourt winner in the fourth game and pulling the break back. Sinner closed the fifth game with a service winner and drew the rival’s mistake in the next for back-to-back breaks and a 4-2 advantage. The Italian held at love in the seventh game for 5-2 and wrapped up the opener after the Aussie’s forehand error in game nine for 6-3 after 36 minutes.
Jannik Sinner, ATP Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
Jannik plays well in the second set and moves over the top
The home favorite provided five comfortable holds in the second set, mounting the pressure on the other side. He held at love in the fourth game with an ace and created three break points in the next one. Alex saved them before falling on the fourth after Jannik’s deep return and a forced error. Sinner closed the sixth game with an ace after a deuce for 4-2 and repeated that two games later for 5-3. De Minaur held at 15 in the ninth game, extending the battle and prolonging his chances. However, world no. 1 fired an ace in the tenth game, holding at love and moving over the finish line.