By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday August 12, 2023
Jannik Sinner got past Tommy Paul on Saturday in Toronto to reach his second Masters 1000 final of 2022, and third overall.
Photo Source: Getty
Jannik Sinner continues to make an impression at the biggest events in tennis.
The Italian, fresh off his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon last month, moved into his second Masters 1000 final of 2023 with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over American Tommy Paul on Saturday evening at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
The Italian was in command for much of the match, but he had has hands full with Paul, who upset World No.1 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night in Toronto.
"He has an incredible backhand, forehand when he has time, he plays good," Sinner said. "He is an all-around very, very good player. And also when he comes to the net, he has very good hands. And so, you know, it's the tactical side was very important today. I'm not going to talk how exactly my game plan was, but I think you saw a little bit how I was preparing the match, and I think it was the right way."
The 8th-ranked Sinner, now 17-4 at the Masters 1000 level in 2023, becomes the first Italian to ever reach the final at the National Bank Open – he will face Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final at 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The 21-year-old was facing 14th-seeded Paul on a hard court for the first time, after defeating him on clay and falling to the American on grass in 2022.
Sinner and Paul are No.3 and No.4 in hard court wins on the ATP Tour in 2023, but it was the Italian who pushed through a back-and-forth opening set, breaking in the final game after several lead changes, to take the opener 6-4.
Paul needed five minutes medical treatment for his lower back after the third game of the second set, and was broken immediately upon resumption.
Sinner then saved a break point in the next game before holding for 4-1
Not long after the pair would play an epic 46-stroke rally that also went the way of Sinner.
"It was important moment," Sinner said. "So every shot I tried to play with the right attitude, no? It was very tough or important point. I felt it, and, obviously, also he felt it. So we both hit quite hard. We tried to move us around a little bit. And, you know, these kind of rallies are quite exhausting. You can feel the legs getting heavier shot after shot."
Serving for the final at 6-4, 5-3 Sinner was broken . The Italian came right back converting his third match point to close the win with a break.
It's another great challenge for me, another chance. Happy to be in the position, no? I've been working very hard for these matches like semifinals and finals. And happy to be that tomorrow I have another chance..