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Djokovic increases Turin chances, Mover of Week

  • Posted: Oct 14, 2024

The eighth ATP Masters 1000 event of the season led to Jannik Sinner lifting the trophy at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. While the Italian grabbed the headlines, the battle to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals intensified.

Record seven-time champion Novak Djokovic boosted his hopes by reaching the final and Taylor Fritz consolidated his position in the Live Race after advancing to the last four. ATPTour.com looks at the movers of the week in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as of Monday, 14 October.

[ATP APP]

Novak Djokovic – Sixth (3,910 points)
The Serbian climbed three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after he reached the title match in Shanghai. The 37-year-old dropped just one set en route to his record-extending 59th ATP Masters 1000 final and first in 2024. However, Djokovic was unable to overcome Sinner, who captured his seventh crown of the year.

Having arrived in Shanghai outside the qualification cut, Djokovic leaves China with a 17th appearance at the prestigious year-end event in sight.

View PIF ATP Live Race To Turin

Daniil Medvedev – Fourth (4,820 ponts)
Medvedev moved to the brink of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals following a quarter-final run in Shanghai. The 28-year-old earned wins against Thiago Seyboth Wild, Matteo Arnaldi and Stefanos Tsitsipas before Sinner stopped him in the last eight. Medvedev, who leads Tsitsipas 10-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, lifted the trophy at the year-end event in 2020.

Taylor Fritz – Fifth (4,290 points)
The 26-year-old consolidated his fifth-placed position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin after becoming just the second American semi-finalist in Shanghai tournament history (Sebastian Korda 2023). Fritz, who is 49-20 on the season, is chasing a second appearance in Turin, having reached the last four on debut in 2022.

Grigor Dimitrov – 10th (2,935 points)
Dimitrov kept alive his slim hopes of competing in Turin by outperforming seventh-placed Casper Ruud (3,805 points) and eighth-placed Andrey Rublev (3,580 points) in Shanghai. Dimitrov battled to the fourth round but lost to #NextGenATP Czech Jakub Mensik, who also beat Rublev and went on to win a set against Djokovic.

Dimitrov will chase precious points this week at the ATP 250 in Stockholm, where he competes with Andrey Rublev. Ruud and ninth-placed Alex de Minaur (3,305 points) take to court at the ATP 250 in Antwerp. De Minaur has been sidelined since the US Open due to injury.

Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals, scheduled to take place from 10-17 November.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

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What is the tennis schedule in Almaty, Antwerp & Stockholm?

  • Posted: Oct 14, 2024

This week’s three ATP 250 events — the Almaty Open, the Europen Open in Antwerp and the BNP Paribas Nordic Open in Stockholm — begin on Monday.  

Scroll below to see who will be in action, including Matteo Berrettini, Borna Coric and Richard Gasquet.

ORDER OF PLAY – MONDAY, 14 OCTOBER 2024

ALMATY

Centre Court – start 10 a.m.
Qualifying Final – [4] Aslan Karatsev vs [5] Alejandro Moro Canas (ESP)
Qualifying Final – [2] Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) vs [8] Alibek Kachmazov

Not Before 2:30 p.m.
[WC] Justin Engel (GER) vs Coleman Wong (HKG)
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs Maximilian Marterer (GER)

Not Before 7 p.m.
[7] Fabian Marozsan (HUN) vs Borna Coric (CRO)

Court 1 – start 10 a.m.
Qualifying Final – [1] Yunchaokete Bu (CHN) vs [6] Daniel Evans (GBR)
Qualifying Final – [3] Yasutaka Uchiyama (JPN) vs Benjamin Hassan (LBN)

Not Before 2:30 PM
Jakob Schnaitter (GER) / Mark Wallner (GER) vs [3] Yuki Bhambri (IND) / Albano Olivetti (FRA)
Marco Bortolotti (ITA) / Patrik Niklas-Salminen (FIN) vs Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli (IND) / Arjun Kadhe (IND)
[WC] Alexander Shevchenko (KAZ) / Timofey Skatov (KAZ) vs Evan King (USA) / Reese Stalder (USA)

ANTWERP

Centre Court – start 11 a.m.
Qualifying Final – [2] Thiago Seyboth Wild (BRA) or [WC] Emilien Demanet (BEL) vs [6] Mark Lajal (EST)
Qualifying Final – [4] Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) or [WC] Gilles Arnaud Bailly (BEL) vs Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO)

Not Before 15:30
Thiago Monteiro (BRA) vs [7] Mariano Navone (ARG)
[WC] Richard Gasquet (FRA) vs [6] Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG)
[WC] Raphael Collignon (BEL) vs Marton Fucsovics (HUN)

Court 1 – start 11 a.m.
Qualifying Final – Alexey Vatutin vs [8] Manuel Guinard (FRA)

Not Before 12:30
Qualifying Final – [3] Luca Van Assche (FRA) or Jelle Sels (NED) vs Alex Marti Pujolras (ESP) or [7] Filip Cristian Jianu (ROU)

Not Before 14:00
Dominik Koepfer (GER) vs Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP)
Alexander Erler (AUT) / Lucas Miedler (AUT) vs Constantin Frantzen (GER) / Hendrik Jebens (GER)

STOCKHOLM

Centre Court – start 1 p.m.
Aleksandar Kovacevic (USA) vs Dominic Stricker (SUI)
[Q] Marc-Andrea Huesler (SUI) vs Lorenzo Sonego (ITA)

Not Before 5 p.m.
[7] Tallon Griekspoor (NED) vs Pavel Kotov
[8] Luciano Darderi (ITA) vs Matteo Berrettini (ITA)

Court 1 – start 2 p.m.
[WC] Leo Borg (SWE) / Adam Heinonen (SWE) vs Gonzalo Escobar (ECU) / Diego Hidalgo (ECU)
Petr Nouza (CZE) / Patrik Rikl (CZE) vs [4] Julian Cash (GBR) / Lloyd Glasspool (GBR)

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Sinner dominated this critical area against Djokovic in Shanghai…

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

The start of the point was not the problem for Novak Djokovic. It was the end.

Jannik Sinner defeated Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday by winning just five more points (65-60) overall than the Serbian. In a match that showcased parity all over the stats sheet, the Italian dominated one critical area — the ability to finish points off with winners.

Winners: Sinner
– Aces = 9
– Forehand = 6
– Backhand = 4
– Volleys = 4
– Total = 23

Winners: Djokovic
– Aces = 4
– Forehand = 4
– Backhand = 1
– Volleys = 3
– Total = 12

Sinner clubbed 23 winners to Djokovic’s 12. There was no other match stat where such a gap between the two players existed. Both committed 23 unforced errors for the match. Both put 82 per cent of their backhands in play. Djokovic actually put slightly more forehands in the court (86% to 84%) and hit them harder (81 mph to 79 mph) on average throughout the final.

But when it came time to finish off the good work building the point, it was Sinner who proved to be twice as good as Djokovic. When isolating baseline points, Sinner collected 10 winners to just five for Djokovic. The Serbian won the battle of longer rallies of nine shots or longer by eight points to six. It proved inconsequential to the final outcome in Shanghai. When Sinner needed to end the point, his movement, shot selection and court position proved superior to the former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

 

One micro-battle that highlighted the strategic advantage Sinner enjoyed in the match can be seen with the first shot hit after the serve, commonly known as Serve +1.

Total Serve +1 Forehands
– Sinner = 62% (28/45)
– Djokovic = 42% (15/36)

Sinner Serve +1 Groundstrokes Won
– Forehand = 61% (17/28)
– Backhand = 53% (9/17)

Djokovic Serve +1 Groundstrokes Won
– Forehand = 53% (8/15)
– Backhand = 52% (11/21)

[ATP APP]

Sinner dominated with Serve +1 forehands in this match, hitting this shot 62 per cent of the time. Djokovic struggled mightily to find his Serve +1 forehand, only hitting it 42 per cent of the time. Sinner won 61 per cent of his Serve +1 forehand points, while Djokovic was only at 53 per cent. This had a negative flow-on effect for the rest of the point for the Serbian. Too many Serve +1 backhands equals too much baseline parity in Djokovic’s service games. That makes it increasingly more challenging for the Serbian to manufacture winners at the end of the point.

Djokovic also turned his attention to the front of the court to apply pressure to Sinner, but this turned out to be one of the rare matches in which Djokovic was not able to build a winning margin at the net. He only won 45% (5/11) points coming forward, while Sinner collected a tidy five of six points won.

It is almost 12 months since Djokovic won his last ATP Tour title at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin last November. At 37 years of age, the recent Paris Olympics gold medalist Djokovic is fast approaching the twilight of his career. This match identifies where his younger opponents will forge an advantage against him.

It’s not in building the point. It’s in finishing it.

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Sinner on special Shanghai moment: 'I'm going to enjoy this'

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Jannik Sinner has established himself as a powerhouse on the ATP Tour in 2024, marking his authority at the highest level.

In a display that underpinned his standout season, Sinner muscled his way past Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 in Sunday’s championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. In claiming his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024, the World No. 1 claimed a personal best 65th win of the season, shining a light on the improvements he has made to his game.

“I changed some things. I feel like physically I’m ready to play for a longer amount of time at the highest level possible,” said Sinner, who improved to 8-2 on the season vs. Top-5 players on hard courts. “Mentally I’m ready to accept every tough situation on the court, and I think that’s the biggest step I have made forward.

“I’m just trying to stay as calm as possible and to keep working hard. It doesn’t really matter if you have a good week or a bad week, I’m just trying to improve daily, to be mature enough to understand what’s working, and I feel like that for me made a big impact this year, and hopefully it’s going to help me also for next year.”

Sinner, who secured ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours after Saturday’s semi-final win against Tomas Machac, held his nerve to improve to 24-8 in tie-breaks in 2024 after sealing the opening set. From there, the Italian clicked into gear to become the youngest Shanghai champion after one hour and 37 minutes.

“I’m going to enjoy this,” added Sinner, who became the first player to win three ATP Masters 1000 titles in one season since Rafael Nadal in 2018. “It is a very special moment, winning any tournament is amazing, but especially this one here, so we’re going to enjoy it, for sure, but nothing crazy.”

Djokovic was bidding to become just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles (Connors, Federer), but came unstuck against the bruising ballstriking of the World No. 1. With his third consecutive victory against Djokovic, Sinner levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series at 4-4.

Sinner, who became the first player to win more than six ATP Tour titles in one season since Andy Murray won nine in 2016, credits the nature of his working environment to his prolonged success on the court in 2024.

“I will keep working hard, me and my team. I have these two new members in my team where I feel like I can learn many things,” said Sinner, who started working with physio Ulises Badio and fitness trainer Marco Panichi last month. “With Simone [Vagnozzi] and Darren [Cahill], it’s a great combination of coaches and the all-around team, it helps me a lot, it’s very comfortable to stay with them.

“I always feel like it’s part of the family already, so it’s nice. We will keep working hard. We’re going to try out some new things off the court, just to see what’s going to help me or not. I feel like the work there will never stop, so I’m looking forward to that.”

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Djokovic on Federer as spectator: 'I'm not used to seeing you in the stands'

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

As Jannik Sinner claimed his seventh title of the season over Novak Djokovic at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, there were some familiar faces in the stands.

Roger Federer, the two-time Shanghai titlist (2014 & 2017), was among those in attendance to witness the World No. 1 delay Djokovic’s quest to join the Swiss great in surpassing 100 tour-level titles.

“It’s nice to see Roger, I’m not used to seeing you in the stands,” said Djokovic, who fell to a 7-6(4), 6-3 defeat to Sinner in the championship match. “I wish you were here on the court playing with us, but it’s probably the first time I’m playing in front of you, so I had added pressure today.”

Sinner continued his emphatic run on hard courts this season, improving to 8-2 vs. Top-5 players on the surface with his dominant display over record four-time champion Djokovic. The 23-year-old’s only two defeats came in Indian Wells and Beijing against fierce rival Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard, alongside coach Juan Carlos Ferrero, was also present inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena as Sinner claimed his Tour-leading seventh title of 2024 and levelled his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Djokovic at 4-4.

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Djokovic: Sinner 'suffocates' opponents, just like I do

  • Posted: Oct 13, 2024

Jannik Sinner is enjoying a stellar 2024 season on the ATP Tour. It is not hard for his rival Novak Djokovic to see the reasons why.

Djokovic pushed Sinner all the way in an absorbing opening set on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters championship match. Yet the Italian dialled in to clinch it in a tie-break before accelerating through the second set for a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory. It was Sinner’s third consecutive Lexus ATP Head2Head victory against Djokovic, and the Serbian was later asked if he sees any of his own abilities in his younger rival.

“All around, every shot he’s got in the game,” said Djokovic in his post-match press conference. “He’s improved his serve tremendously. I think that became a big weapon. He’s just very aggressive from the baseline, as soon as he’s got a shorter ball, he’s taking the initiative. Just very solid from forehand and backhand, doesn’t make too many mistakes, and just tries to take away the time from the opponent.

“That’s something that reminds me of myself throughout my career, that’s what I’ve done for so many years consistently. Playing fast-paced tennis, taking away time from the opponent, kind of suffocating the opponent, in a certain way. You want your opponent to always feel under pressure from your shots, from your speed, from your presence on the court. So he’s got that. This year he’s been so consistent. It’s really, really impressive.”

Despite his straight-sets defeat on Sunday, record four-time Shanghai champion Djokovic reflected fondly on his first appearance at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 since 2019. The Serbian has risen three spots to sixth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin as a result of his championship-match run, putting him in a strong position to qualify for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

“I think there’s quite a few positives that I can take,” said Djokovic. “First of all, I think the level of my tennis was really good this tournament, probably best after the Olympic games in terms of how I played, how I performed, how I fought.

“I did my best tonight. Under the circumstances, you know, I felt maybe not a hundred percent fresh, but at the same time big credit to Jannik for playing the big points better than me, and that’s what made the difference. He deserved to win, he was just too strong in important moments.”

If Djokovic had defeated Sinner to lift the trophy in Shanghai, he would have become just the third man to win 100 tour-level titles in the Open Era (after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer). While the 37-year-old acknowledged that hitting that milestone would have been ‘a bonus’, it is not the primary source of motivation for him as he continues to compete on tennis’ biggest stages.

“My main motivation comes from love and passion for the sport, and also the desire to keep competing,” said Djokovic. “These are the matches and challenges that I still strive for, to be in a position to play against the best players in the world, on the biggest stage, in the finals of some of the biggest tournaments in the world.

“That’s what I work for and why I still keep on pushing myself. That’s all that can be said about that. I don’t know what future brings. I’ll just try to kind of go with the flow to see how I feel in a given moment. I still plan to compete and play next season and let’s see how far I go.”

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