Ok, that completes coverage of the first semi. The second - Djokovic v Alcaraz - will follow later on this channel for the chance to face Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final.
Big noise for Jannik Sinner who speaks to the crowd with a very big smile: “It was a very difficult match. Daniil started playing better than me. After I broke him I felt much better. You guys gave me such energy, Thanks so much for me helping me through the match. Let’s see what happens in the final.”
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Sinner beats Medvedev 6-3 6-7 6-1 to reach the final!
A long rally takes Sinner to 15-0. Medvedev still fighting but almost broken. Big serve for 30-0. Two points from the Russian being flushed away. The next big rally is won by a huge backhand for 40-0. Three match points for Sinner. He takes the first, Medvedev, exhaustedly, goes long.
Double break for Sinner!
Sinner 6-3 6-7 5-1 *Medvedev
Medvedev is playing fast now, but goes 0-30 down. Sinner does miss a big one, as the umpire asks for another of those big, distracting lights to be turned off. Then Sinner misses another winner. And then goes long, challenging a ball that had clearly gone long. But he gets back to deuce, only for Medvedev to pull off a backhand winner of stunning quality. Then Sinner supplies one of his own for deuce once more. Then a Medvedev misread of a Sinner shank offer up a break point. Sinner misses his big chance after amazing defence from Medvedev, who then nets to offer up another. Big serve and that’s another break point saved. Sinner blams another home, and Medvedev faces another. And this time a forehand goes far too long…Sinner will serve for the match with a double break in his pocket….
Sinner* 6-3 6-7 4-1 Medvedev
Big serve and big winner from Sinner for 15-0. He then misses a volley for 15-15. Medvedev challenges a 30-15 ace winner? No. Then Medvedev levels at 30-30. But a big miss for 40-30. A fine whipped backhand takes the game for another huge hold.
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Sinner 6-3 6-7 3-1 *Medvedev
Medvedev seethes in his seat as the Europop filth continues. It comes as a surprise that he leaves the ump alone. He starts the next game with purpose and poise. But is then beaten to the punch by Sinner for 15-15. Big serve for Medvedev for 30-15. And a big hold results.
Sinner* 6-3 6-7 3-0 Medvedev
Huge rally at 15-15 when Sinner seems to get to the net too early. Medvedev is furious and chucks his racket. He’s been warned for his conduct after picking a fight with someone in the crowd. At 30-15 he is sent sprawling. Sinner wins the next rally by chasing harder than an opponent who suddenly looks distracted. Big, big hold.
Sinner breaks Medvedev in the third
Sinner 6-3 6-7 2-0 *Medvedev
Excitement as Sinner leaves the ball and it goes out for 15-30. Even more as Medvedev misses a forehand down the line. He defends the first on a second serve. And then the second but then comes another chance at deuce. And a double fault hands it over.
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Sinner* 6-3 6-7 1-0 Medvedev
A drop shot for 15-15 has Sinner bouncing like a puppy. Still, he gets squeezed out of the next point for 15-30. Big ace, big bouncing from Sinner. He’s trying to engage the crowd. Air-punching as he blams a forehand winner for 40-30. Then an overhead and another big leap.
The trainer is out for Medvedev who retreats backstage and then comes back out to jeers. He’s looked the looser-limbed of the two of them. Sinner is the one pacing around the court during a lengthy delay soundtracked by Europop filth.
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Medvedev takes the second set 7-6. It's 1-1.
Sinner 6-3 6-7 Medvedev
Medvedev claims an ace for 1-0, challenged unsuccessfully. It goes to 1-1 after a short rally. Then Medvedev’s Salt Bae-esque slice claims a mini-break for 2-1. Next comes 3-1 off his improving serve. Then a stop volley fails to stop and it’s 2-3. Sinner to serve…but Medvedev wins the next rally with his movement. Sinner is slowing up. He’s looking worried, too. He claws back to 3-4 and is taking his time over every point. Medvedev serves down the line for 5-3. And then Medvedev serves a belter for 6-3. Three set points. The first is surrendered. 4-6, on Sinner’s serve. The second goes out. And it’s level.
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Sinner* 6-3 6-6 Medvedev
Into the tie-breaker we go…Sinner consumes a banana to replenish his energy levels. Still, he wins another of these increasingly long rallies for 30-15. But then Medvedev plays a beautiful forehand down the line for 30-30. Big serve for 40-30, the first serve continues to be highly useful. And Medvedev, trying to reach a drop shot, nets.
Sinner 6-3 5-6 *Medvedev
Huge roars when Sinner lumps home a lob that Medvedev misses. It’s only for 15-15. And for 30-30, a forehand down the line wins a long rally and another huge cheer. Groans though as Medvedev holds on the next rally. Sinner a little more ragged than before? Very possibly.
Sinner 6-3 5-5 *Medvedev
Nerves now for Sinner? At 15-0, possibly. There’s relief when Medvedev misses a forehand winner for 30-15. Then 40-15 after another error. Big ace, big hold. The pressure swings back.
Sinner 6-3 4-5 *Medvedev
A long rally begins the game, and Medvedev bellyaches with the umpire, having gone 0-15 down. Then Medvedev nets for 0-30. There’s a glimmer for Sinner here…but Medvedev clubs a drive volley home for 15-30. Back to 30-30 after another rally. Then a fine serve from Medvedev, and another huge serve sees it out, a challenge wasted by Sinner.
Sinner* 6-3 4-4 Medvedev
Now there’s a wobble on the Sinner serve. It’s 15-30. And second serve required before a rally that takes a while, and is levelled at 30-30, with Medvedev thinking he returned a ball that was out. They played on and he failed to keep the ball in. Another long, long rally follows and again Medvedev goes long, his challenge coming to nothing. Then Sinner wastes a challenge when he clearly blammed it out. Deuce. And then Sinner sees glory and nets, to offer up a break point. The first serve is malfunctioning, but a chip and charge sees him crash home an overhead. Medvedev then overcooks a volley. Back to deuce once more. And finally, Sinner holds. Now, can he break his opponent?
Sinner 6-3 3-4 *Medvedev
Sinner is not finding it nearly so easy on the Medvedev serve, and at 40-15 down, he misses a winner. That’s as easy a hold as there’s been for Medders.
Sinner* 6-3 3-3 Medvedev
A slower serve catches out Medvedev, and it’s 40-0, before Medvedev correctly challenges a first serve. No problem, the second serve skids beyond him.
Sinner 6-3 2-3 *Medvedev
The Russian’s serve is looking a little more robust than before, and holds with more ease. His first serves are flying in now.
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Sinner* 6-3 2-2 Medvedev
Sinner-mania in the stands, so can the home hero get it done? Medvedev is not done just yet, not at all. But at 30-15, he’s sent all over the court. But he double faults for 30-30 and the home crowd roar him for doing so. Big serve for 40-30, but Medvedev clambers back to deuce. A crashing, irreturnable serve, and then another, and that’s a big hold.
Sinner 6-3 1-2 *Medvedev
Medvedev uses his wingspan to scoop over a winner with Sinner nowhere. And holds to love. They are motoring along now.
Sinner* 6-3 1-1 Medvedev
The Sinner serve is dominating an opponent who has so many tools on returns. He holds with ease.
Sinner 6-3 0-1 *Medvedev
After a burst of Blue by Eiffel 65 we go back underway. At 30-30 there are worries for Medvedev but a charge to the net pushes him to 40-30, and there’s a welcome hold.
More tennis news and this one feels portentous.
Sinner takes the first set 6-3.
Sinner 6-3 *Medvedev
Two set points are soon arrived at, and the first is taken. A well-crafted set for the home hero. His serve has been so dominant.
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Sinner 5-3 *Medvedev
Medvedev serves well once more, and for 40-15 he catches Sinner almost totally unawares. Another fine serve means Sinner must serve for the set.
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Sinner* 5-2 Medvedev
Huge serving and it’s 40-0 soon enough, but Medvedev’s speed round the court means there will be no love hold. Second serve required, and a drop shot and a lob send Medvedev back the wrong way. He has it all to do in the first set.
Sinner 4-2 *Medvedev
Medvedev goes quickly to 30-0, and a first ace takes him to 40-0. Sinner’s backhand, when it works, can be quite a weapon and a winner pegs it back to 40-15. Medvedev, though, sees it out.
Sinner* 4-1 Medvedev
Now, can Sinner drive the point home? He can – eventually. There’s so much support behind him. He begins with a double fault. There’s a complaint about the lighting scheme, both players saying one of the display lamps is beaming in their eye. Sinner, distractedly, misses a forehand for 0-30. Medvedev’s turn to make a mistake at 15-30. Sinner punches the air as he claws back to 30-30. Then another big serve. 40-30. Medvedev’s power from the baseline levels it at deuce. Big serve takes the advantage, and after a strong rally, Medvedev gets to the net but sprawls and misses.
Sinner breaks Medvedev!
Sinner 3-1 *Medvedev
The game begins with Medvedev’s overhead smashing into his opponent, and there is an apology. He’s sending Sinner all over the court, and serving well. Sinner’s backhand creeks into gear with a winner for 40-15. And then Medvedev nets to set the home fires burning. A second serve is required on game point, and he double faults, and then comes apart to hand over a break point that Sinner gobbles up. Where did that come from?
Sinner* 2-1 Medvedev
Big serving from Sinner, and some charges to the net, too. Still, he’s pegged back to 40-30, then deuce, the backhand letting him down once more. Sinner saves a break point with a far better backhand, whipping home. Then comes a huge ace, which is challenged but was very much in. Medvedev is looking sharp, though, and levels it again. Sinner’s serve deals him out of a tight corner, and then he holds, and celebrates with a fist pump.
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Sinner 1-1 *Medvedev
Crashing winner from Medvedev as Sinner comes to the net. But he goes long from the back of the court for 15-15. Baseline stuff is the order of the day but the court is very fast. Sinner’s backhand mistake hands over game point, and again to level the games.
Sinner* 1-0 Medvedev
Sinner starts with a big serve but drops to 15-30. Some long rallies already, but a clattered forehand takes him to 40-30. The serves have been huge, and Medvedev nets to hand over the first game.
Big crowd here to see Sinner, who has really captured the public imagination.
Right, all very calm between the two players and we are just about ready to go.
The players take to the stage, with the mic announcer giving it big licks. The knock-up begins.
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The players are going through their warmups. Medvedev is lunging away and using the basketball. He’s probably quite a decent basketballer at 6’ 6”.
The head to head between these two is Medvedev 6-2 Sinner but the Italian has won the last two, though in three sets.
And Medvedev on Sinner: ““At this moment he’s in top form. [These results in Turin] prove it… I felt like in Vienna I made a good response to what he did in Beijing, but I still lost. I need to be even better, to respond better to his shots.”
Some thoughts from Jannik Sinner after beating Holger Rune: ““It’s a huge privilege to be here. It’s in Italy. It’s obviously a little bit more pressure, but it is kind of a positive pressure. I like to be in this situation,” said Sinner on Thursday after defeating Rune. “I think until now, in this moment, I managed it really well.
“Hopefully I can keep going like this. I think the crowd, they give me a lot of strength, especially when I’m struggling on the court a little bit… Now I have the chance to go two more matches.”
There’s been a little local difficulty at SW19.
The latest from the ATP Finals this week.
Preamble
So far, Jannik Sinner has lived up to the expectations of being Italy’s home favourite in Turin. Each of Tsitsipas, Djokovic and Rune were beaten at the round-robin stage and his reward was facing Daniil Medvedev, well beaten by Carlos Alcaraz on Friday but perhaps happy to avoid Djokovic in the last four. Until that match, Medvedev had been in imperious form today. The reward on offer is the final, and the chance for Sinner to win a first ATP Finals and Medvedev to repeat his 2020 triumph.
Start is at 1.30pm UK time. Join me.
