Shanghai Masters: Sinner secures year-end No 1 ranking; set to face Djokovic in final

Italian Jannik Sinner, the top seed, beat No 30 seed Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5 to move into the final of the Shanghai Masters at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center on Saturday.

With the win, Sinner also secured the year-end world No 1 ranking for himself – the first time that an Italian will end a season as the world’s best player.

“It’s a good feeling. I’m very happy to achieve this. It was an amazing season for me, and it’s not finished yet,” Sinner said of his accomplishment. “Tomorrow is a great final ahead, first time here in Shanghai, so I’m looking forward to it, and then we see how it goes, hopefully, it’s going to be a good match. Being No. 1 in the world at the end of the year, it was only a dream just to become No. 1, now finishing it, it’s also a different feeling. But now during the tournament it’s a bit different, so I’m just trying to be focused for tomorrow, and then we see how it goes.”

Sinner improves to 27-3 in ATP Masters Series matches this year and is through to his eighth final of 2024 (his third at the ATP Masters level and his first in Shanghai). The Italian also improves to 64-6 for the season and has now won 20 of his last 21 matches on the tour.

His 64 wins are now the joint-most for him in any season (he also won 64 matches in 2023) and this was his 54th consecutive win over a player ranked outside the top 20.

“it’s one of the biggest challenges we have in our sport” – Sinner on facing Djokovic

Sinner, ranked No 1, will next play Serb Novak Djokovic, the No 4 seed, who defeated American Taylor Fritz, the No 7 seed, in the second semi-final.

“We always had some very tough matches in the past. It’s going to be a very tough one, it’s one of the biggest challenges we have in our sport,” Sinner said of taking on Djokovic in the final. “So, I’m happy that I can play against him in the final, it’s even more special, and then we see how it goes. It’s very tough to predict this one.”

Ahead of his win today, the Italian won against Japanese Taro Daniel (6-1, 6-4), Argentinian Tomas Martin Etcheverry, the No 31 seed (6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2), American Ben Shelton, the No 14 seed (6-4, 7-6 (1)) and Russian Daniil Medvedev, the No 5 seed (6-1, 6-4).

Machac, ranked No 33, defeated Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4), Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic (6-4, 6-2), American Tommy Paul, the No 11 seed (3-6, 6-4, 6-3) and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No 3 seed (7-6 (5), 7-5) earlier in the week.

Shanghai Masters 1000, other semi-final match (Qi Zhong Tennis Center, hard, USD 8,995,555):

• Novak Djokovic vs. Taylor Fritz

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