World No. 1 and home favorite Jannik Sinner began his bid to win the ATP Finals for the first time with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over tournament debutant Alex de Minaur on Sunday.
Playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the 13,000-seater Inalpi Arena, Sinner initially fell behind in the first set but quickly found his rhythm to dominate the match.
The Italian star, who clinched his first Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open and US Open this year, sealed the match with an ace, marking his eighth consecutive win against De Minaur.
Sinner, 23, had not competed in a match for four weeks since winning his seventh title of the season in Shanghai. Despite showing some early rust by dropping serve to trail 2-1 in the opening set, he swiftly regained control.
“Considering I hadn’t played for four weeks, I’m very happy,” Sinner said courtside. “I started off with some unforced errors at the beginning of the match but I stayed there mentally knowing that at some point my tennis would arrive. It arrived quite early and I started to return very well. Today I’m pleased with the win and it will give me confidence.”
While Sinner is aiming to cap a superb year on the court, he faces ongoing scrutiny after being cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal following a positive test for the anabolic agent clostebol in March.
The tribunal, organized by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has since appealed the ‘no fault or negligence’ decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), leaving Sinner’s situation unresolved.
Reference(s):
Jannik Sinner opens ATP Finals campaign with win over De Minaur
cgtn.com
