Sinner takes the opportunity to surprise Hurkacz

Jannik Sinner gave joy to an Italian supporters that had fallen down last Sunday with the injury of Matteo Berrettini when he played Alexander Zverev on the first day of the ATP Finals. The great hope for the future of the 20-year-old and 11th-ranked transalpine tennis player seized the opportunity and beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-2 in 85 minutes.Although his qualification for the semifinals is complicated, because he would have to beat Medvedev on Thursday and Zverev fell to Hurkacz, who has not yet been eliminated although his winning record remains at zero. ‘Matteo, you are an idol,’ wrote the boy, who had a very honorable detail with his partner and countryman.

Sinner, who was training these days just in case at the Pala Alpitur in Turin, is the first substitute to play the Masters since Pablo Carreño, who did so in 2017 replacing Rafa Nadal, also from the second match. But he will not leave empty like the Spanish on that occasion. In fact, his victory is the first of an ‘alternate’ since that achieved by the Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in the London edition of 2011. He also becomes the youngest competitor of the tournament since the Argentine Juan Martín del Potro, who was 20 years old when he participated in 2008, then in Shanghai. And the youngest victor since Lleyton Hewitt, who was 19 when he beat Pete Sampras in Lisbon 2000.

Sinner was far superior to Hurkacz, who had liked it in the first set against Medvedev a couple of days earlier, but couldn’t find a way to stop the urge. and the motivation of the Italian, whom he had beaten this year in the final of the Masters 1,000 in Miami. Jannik was fierce in defending the break points, saving his rival’s five and breaking Hubert’s powerful serve twice. He also didn’t miss much (11 unforced errors) and landed 17 winners. He lived his moment, although he felt very sorry for Berrettini. “He is a great player and an incredible person,” she said of him. Bravo.

Results, classifications and calendar.