Jannik Sinner towards semi-final against Alex De Minaur. On court today at 14:30

Jannik Sinner - after also beating Ben Shelton - reached the semifinals without having lost a single match in the round, just like Carlos Alcaraz in the other group. The result (it ended 6-3, 7-6) was irrelevant for the qualification, already achieved by the Italian, but every match won in the round robin is worth 200 points and $396,500, and whoever wins the tournament without a single loss takes home 1,500 points and over $5 million.

Today at 2.30 p.m. in the semifinals Alex De Minaur will try to break the long losing streak (12-0) to the Italian. World number 1 Carlos Alcaraz will meet Auger-Aliassime. It is also doubles day: Bolelli-Vavassori will challenge Heliövaara-Patten for a place in the final.

On Friday, against Ben Shelton, the first set was decided from the very first game, when Sinner broke the American on serve and then managed to control the game, even neutralising a break point on 2-1 and containing the incursions at the net of his opponent (beaten in two sets 15 days ago in the Paris Masters). At 5-3, a further break against Shelton brought the first set to an end and allowed Sinner to start the second set on serve, which has now become a constant strong point (once again today there were forehands of over 210 km per hour, a total of 11 aces and a remarkable 75 per cent). The second set was more balanced, Jannik made a few more errors, and they went head-to-head until 5-4, when Shelton's serve brought a match point for the South Tyrolean, which was cancelled with a great first. On the fast court in particular, even for the American his serve is a decisive weapon (today he exceeded 230 km per hour), the one that, like his powerful groundstrokes, brought him to the tiebreak. At this point, however, Jannik raised his level, hit a forehand winner, volleyed into the net and ended 7-3.