Tennis: Sinner one step away from Maestro title, today's final with Fritz

The 'non-match' with Ruud

Jannik's match with the Norwegian (who had jeopardised the path of an ailing Alcaraz in the round, winning with the Spaniard in the opener) was instead the expression of absolute and implacable domination, as a world number one. Ruud - who is also ranked seventh - interjected as much as he could, while in the stands the spectators accompanied the most spectacular winners or the most incredible recoveries with 'Olè Olè Sinner Sinner'. The South Tyrolean dominated by showing off his repertoire (admired by the fans these days also in training alongside Vagnozzi and Cahill). Apart from a fleeting 'distraction' at 3-1 in the first set, when Sinner on serve found himself 15-40 and risked the counterbreak, the match slipped away in one direction.

In his press conference, Jannik said that he was also partly 'surprised' by his performance in a tournament in which he did not let his opponents drop a single set, but he recalled that he had prepared very well, arriving a week earlier, and that in any case the season's planning was very careful to arrive fresh at the end. Then 'every day is unpredictable', he warned, 'there will be days when things go wrong, others when I don't feel well. I'm playing at a very high level and if I said everything is normal I would be telling a lie'.

Towards the final

There are four previous matches between Sinner and Fritz (three to one for the Italian). The last two challenges took place in the last three months: the first in the final at the Us Open (brought home by the Italian in three sets) and the second last Tuesday in the preliminary round (won with a double 6-4). Jannik lost last year's Atp Finals to Djokovic and is now aiming to end the year on a high note, once again legitimising his top ranking. For his opponent, the motivation is no less: it has been 18 years since an American has reached the final of the world's top eight tournament (in 2006 James Blake lost to Federer); the last to win was Pete Sampras in 1999. Nearly five million dollars and 1,500 points are up for grabs for Sinner, who is undefeated, a little less for Fritz, having lost a match in the round. "It will be a difficult and delicate match," Sinner commented at the press conference, "he played a very good match in the round robin, the difference was on a few points. I will have to be very careful, finals are different. The appointment is at 6 pm, on Sky and Rai 2.

In the meantime, in the Billie Jean King Cup...

The Billie Jean King Cup, the women's team tournament featuring Tathiana Garbin's Italy, is being played in Malaga these days: the Italian women's team won 2-1 against Japan to reach the semifinals. Trailing 1-0 after Elisabetta Cocciaretto's defeat in three sets to Ena Shibahara, the Italians bounced back dragged by a decisive Jasmine Paolini, who brought the point in the other singles (6-3, 6-4 to Moyuka Uchijima) and then won the doubles alongside Sara Errani: the Olympic champions prevailed 6-3, 6-4 over Shuko Aoyama and Eri Hozumi. Now it's Poland's Iga Swiatek who beat the Czech Republic 2-1.