Sinner defeats Atmane 7-6, 6-2, to reach the Cincinnati final. Live coverage | Paolini in the semifinals.
Jannik Sinner beats Frenchman Terence Atamane in two sets in the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, which he won last year. In doubles, two Italian pairs are on the field: Musetti/Sonego win against the British Salisbury/Skupski (4-6 6-3 13-11) and go to the final against Mektic/Ram, while Errani/Paolini play against the Chinese Guo Hanyu/A. Panova.
Sinner writes on camera: "Thanks for the birthday wishes."
Having won the match against Atmane 7-6 6-2, Sinner – who turned 24 today – wrote a phrase on the camera: “Thanks for the birthday wishes.”
Sinner breaks Atmane's serve again and wins 7-6 6-2
Sinner tries to shorten the match due to the heat and hits his shots at full speed. He goes 0-40 up on Atmane's serve, who saves two match points. But the Italian closes out the third set and reaches the Cincinnati final.
Sinner gives Atmane no chances and goes up 5-2
Sinner opens the court with a serve, and it's all very simple: 15-0. Atmane tries a forehand winner out wide, and it actually goes wide, just wide: 30-0. Atmane manages to extend the rally, but this time the Italian makes the mistake: his forehand goes wide, making it 30-15. The Frenchman senses the South Tyrolean's difficulties, tries a forehand winner on return, but misses, and Sinner is grateful: 40-15. Jannik serves and goes wide, but Jannik holds his service game and goes up 5-2. The match has lasted 34 minutes, an hour and 20 minutes in total.
Atmane holds serve: Sinner now leads 4-2
Atmane returns to win a game, conceding just one point to Sinner, who, heeding Vagnozzi's advice, shortens the rallies and takes risks to avoid losing energy. The second set is 4-2.
Sinner confirms the break: 4-1 for the Italian in the second set
Sinner is clearly suffering from the heat. He needs to manage his energy, and he's doing just that. His serve comes to his aid: he holds the set to love, 12 points to 2 for the Italian, who takes a 4-1 lead after 25 minutes of play in the second set.
Tiene gets the break: leads 3-1 in the second set
“Keep the points short, now give it your all on the first two shots. If you're in the running, try, otherwise we'll save energy.” These are Vagnozzi's suggestions at 2-1. Sinner executes: Atmane misses an easy volley at the net, then Jannik wins another point with a return. The Frenchman responds with an ace, the first of the second set: 15-30. Atmane serves a second serve, Sinner positions himself at the back and dictates the rally until the Frenchman makes a mistake: 15-40. These are the first two break points of the entire match, overall (Sinner didn't concede any). The first break point falls on a forehand long after an intense rally: 30-40. Another second serve from Atmane: Sinner returns in the best way, the Frenchman misses a forehand and Jannik closes out, taking the break. It's 3-1, Jannik serving.
Sinner returns to holding his serve to love
A serve is needed to overcome a moment of physical difficulty. Sinner finds it: two winners, 30-0. Atmane tries a tweener facing the court but fails: 40-0. Serve and forehand, Jannik holds the third game to love and goes up 2-1.
Now you can play the game without worries
A backhand error from Sinner in a long rally opens the second game of the second set. Sinner is struggling, even missing his return and finding himself down 30-0. Jannik is feeling the heat. He earns a point with an uncleared volley followed by a smash: 30-15. The Frenchman's winner hits Jannik on the spot: he tries to return, but the ball stays on his racket. Atmane closes out with another winner, taking advantage of Sinner's less-than-perfect position as he attempts to return closer to the baseline. The score is 1-1.
Sinner struggles to hold the first game of the second set
Atmane takes the first point of the second set, on Sinner's serve. A rarity: only the fifth of the match. Sinner gets the game back on track, going up 40-15 but hitting a seemingly easy down-the-line shot. An incredible return from Atmane forces Jannik to volley the ball away from his feet, and the point finally goes to the Frenchman. It's 40-40, and for the first time Jannik goes to deuce on his serve. Atmane tries to anticipate the return by moving forward, but his backhand is clearly long. Jannik misses with a forehand, his fourth error of the game: the score is back at 1-1. Then Atmane misses with a forehand: he's late, he tries for a winner, but he's off-balance, and the shot goes down the line. Another forehand error from Jannik, long. The score is back at 1-1. Sinner takes the lead on serve but then misses again on a forehand. Incredible: he conceded six service points in this game, more than he gave up in the entire first set. Atmane misses a return on a deep second serve from Sinner. The Frenchman then goes to the net, but Sinner keeps his cool and stuns him with a forehand passing shot. The first set lasted 12 minutes (and 14 points) compared to 46 in the first set. But the Italian took it home. Although he seemed to be particularly affected by the heat: during the previous changeover, he put ice on his neck.
The numbers of the first set
Thirty-eight points for Sinner, 31 for Atmane. Here are the stats from the first set, which lasted just 46 minutes despite going to a tiebreak. Six aces each, only one double fault (from the Frenchman), in a set dominated by serve. Sinner hit 64% of his first serves, compared to 78% for Atmane, who, however, won only one return point when Jannik hit a first serve. And when Atmane missed a first serve (only eight times), Sinner won five of the eight points.
Game briefly interrupted due to a spectator's illness
The game was briefly interrupted due to the illness of a spectator in the stands. Fortunately, everything was quickly resolved. Play resumed.
Sinner wins the first set in the tie break
Atmane commits his first double fault at the start of the tie break. Sinner goes up 3-0, the Frenchman cuts the deficit to 3-2 thanks to two forehands from the Italian. But Sinner holds his two service games and goes up 5-2. The Frenchman loses another point on his serve, and Sinner thus earns three set points. Atmane cancels the first with a forehand down the line. But Sinner closes the tie break 7-4. The set lasted 46 minutes.
Sinner takes the set to a tie break
Sinner holds serve to love. The match goes to a tie-break.
Atmane goes up 6-5. Sinner remains at "15"
Atmane wins the 11th game, leaving Sinner at 15. The Italian now serves to reach a tie break.
Sinner holds serve to love and reaches the Frenchman at 5-5
Sinner with ease: he holds his serve to love and goes up 5-5
Atmane without problems: holds serve and goes up 5-4
The same pattern unfolded in the ninth game: Atmane's first serve was relentless. Sinner won only one point with a passing shot, and the Frenchman easily took a 5-4 lead.
For the first time Sinner holds his serve to love
The world number 1's serve isn't too bad either, starting with one of his trademark aces: 15-0. He then takes the lead to 30-0 at the end of a longer rally, which he led from start to finish. A second-set winner makes it 40-0. Sinner holds serve and it's 4-4.
Three aces in a row and Atmane goes up 4-3
Atmane's serve isn't playing well. Three consecutive aces take the lead to 40-0, then a crosscourt winner from Jannik breaks the monotony, but it doesn't last long. The Frenchman takes the game easily, making it 4-3.
Sinner remains in the game: 3-3
Serve and forehand, Sinner doesn't lose focus at the start of the sixth game. Another change of serve makes it 30-0. Then Jannik serves and volleys: 40-0. Sinner gains confidence, but Atmane forces him into a net error with a low passing shot: 40-15. Jannik serves and forehands on the break, and it's 3-3. Atmane started the tournament ranked 138th; he'll be at least 69th after Cincinnati.
Atmane gives a Pokemon card to Sinner
Funny sketch before the match started: Atmane gave a Pokemon card to Sinner, a Pokemon card he is a collector of.
Atmane doesn't tremble and takes the lead 3-2
Atmane begins the fifth game with an ace. Sinner misses with a forehand, sending his opponent up 30-0. Jannik is returning far off the court, looking for countermeasures to his opponent's serve. When the rally begins, things change: the Frenchman promptly makes an error (30-15). Atmane finds the right angles and closes the game at the net: 40-15, two break points for 3-2. He closes with a serve that's called good, but with doubts: Sinner is visibly perplexed as he gains his position.
Sinner serves without problems: 2-2
Nine minutes into the match, Atmane has started the match bravely and is causing problems for Jannik. Sinner begins his service game with a center-court ace. He then goes to the net and closes with a stop volley. The Frenchman finds a nice return to get back to 30-15. Then, however, he misses a forehand, sending the South Tyrolean up to 40-15. The Italian serves and wins the game: 2-2.
Atmane ahead 2-1
Atmane's serve continues to hamper Sinner, who can't come up with any convincing returns. In a flash, the Frenchman takes a 30-15 lead, then closes with a drop shot that Jannik is late to. Another serve goes wide from the left-hander, who holds his service game and goes up 2-1.
Sinner without problems at serve: 1-1
Sinner holds his serve at 15
Atmane holds the service game: 1-0 for the Frenchman
Atmane immediately takes a 30-0 lead, Sinner gets back to 30-30. But the Frenchman closes the game with two points in a row.
Musetti/Sonego in the final!
The Italian doubles team Musetti/Sonego won the semi-final against Salisbury/Skupski 4-6 6-3 13-11 and flew to the final where they will play for the Cincinnati Masters 1000 title against Mektic/Ram .
Musetti/Sonego win the second set
Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego will play a super tie-break in the doubles final of the Cincinnati Masters 1000. The Italian doubles team won the second set after losing the first set to Englishmen Salisbury/Skupski: 4-6, 6-3.
Terence Atmane, who is Sinner's opponent in Cincinnati?
The Frenchman surprisingly eliminated Rune and will face the world number one in the Masters 1000 semifinal. FULL ARTICLE
For his birthday, Sinner wants the Cincinnati final. The staff's gifts and the stopped clock.
Today, the world number one turns 24. Tonight, no earlier than 9 p.m., he will face Atmane in the Masters 1000 semifinal. It's a special day for our tennis player. FULL ARTICLE
Today's program
It's a busy Saturday at the Cincinnati Masters 1000. Jannik Sinner will take to the court in the men's draw, starting at 9 p.m. On his 24th birthday, the world number one will face Frenchman Terence Atmane (number 136 in the world and the tournament's revelation after eliminating Fritz and Rune) for the first time in his career. After Sinner and Atmane, the second semifinal between Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev will take place at midnight. In the men's doubles, the Italian pair of Lorenzo Musetti and Lorenzo Sonego will face the English duo Salisbury and Skupski in the semifinal. In the women's doubles, Errani and Paolini will face Guo and Panova.
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