Felix Auger-Aliassime into ATP Finals last four, Jannik Sinner extends unbeaten run
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Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime celebrates after winning his group stage match against Germany's Alexander Zverev.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Auger-Aliassime beat Zverev 6-4, 7-6(4) to reach the ATP Finals semi-final against Alcaraz after converting a break point to win the first set.
- Sinner defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6(3), extending his indoor hardcourt win streak to 29 matches in a relaxed atmosphere, securing a semi-final spot against de Minaur.
- Alcaraz secured the year-end world number one trophy, expressing pride in his achievement; he may face Sinner in the 2025 final.
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TURIN, Italy - Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime reached the last four of the ATP Finals with a 6-4 7-6(4) round-robin win over two-times winner Alexander Zverev on Nov 14 and Jannik Sinner extended his indoor hardcourt unbeaten run by beating American Ben Shelton.
Germany’s Zverev and Auger-Aliassime both defeated Shelton and lost to Sinner to set up a winner-takes-all clash for the runners-up spot in the Bjorn Borg Group and Auger-Aliassime clinched a place in the Nov 15 semi-final against world number one Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev was left to rue his failure to take any of his seven break points against Sinner, and it was a similarly frustrating story against the Canadian.
The German held break points in both sets but again could not make them count, and the Canadian broke Zverev at 5-4 up to take the first set, before going on to win the second set tiebreak.
Sinner is unbeaten in 29 matches on indoor hardcourt after a 6-3 7-6(3) victory over Shelton in their dead rubber round-robin match.
There was a relaxed atmosphere in the Inalpi Arena as the Italian had already secured top spot in the group and a semi-final against Alex de Minaur.
Shelton was broken in the opening and closing games of the first set, unable to take advantage of a break point at 2-1 down while Sinner was always capable of pulling out an ace at the crucial time, hitting two in that fourth game to hold serve.
The American put up more fight in the second set, serving to love on three occasions, rescuing a match point at 5-4 down and forcing Sinner into a tiebreak for the first time in the last two editions of the season-ending championships, before the Italian sealed the win.
Sinner’s chances of ending the year as world number one evaporated on Nov 13 when Alcaraz completed a clean sweep in the Jimmy Connors Group with a win over Lorenzo Musetti, leaving little at stake against Shelton apart from his unbeaten run.
Before Sinner and Shelton emerged, Alcaraz was presented on court with the ATP year-end world number one trophy, which the Italian won in 2024, and the pair may yet do battle one last time in 2025 in the Nov 16 final.
“It’s a pleasure being the number one of the world, it’s something that I’m working really hard for every day, it is a goal to be honest,” Alcaraz said.
“For me it’s a great achievement. It means the world to me and I’m just really proud and happy.” REUTERS
