Canadian tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime managed to overcome a very tough match and maintain his chances of making it to the ATP Finals after coming from behind to win a two-and-a-half-hour match against American Ben Shelton. Both results, along with Alexander Zverev’s subsequent loss to local Jannik Sinner, will paint a picture of Bjorn Borg’s group of contenders in the final stages of the group stage. According to Europa Press, Sinner secured a place in the semi-finals thanks to an absolute victory over the Germans, boosted by the support of the Turin public.
The match between Auger-Aliassime and Shelton was characterized by both players’ superiority on serve, with both players winning more than 70% of their points on serve. The Canadian lost the first set 4-6, barely piling up five unforced errors, after a strong start by her rival who was confident in her serve and baseline rally, Europa Press reported. Shelton broke in the third game to take a 1-4 lead, but faltered just as he was about to end the set, allowing his opponent to partially respond. Still, he defeated the Canadian again and took the lead.
In the second set, equality prevailed. Neither contender was able to create a break point chance, resulting in a tiebreaker. According to Europa Press, Auger-Aliassime got off to a good start in the tie-break, but needed four set points to decide the outcome in a close 9-7 contest. This sent the match into a third set on the indoor hard courts of Turin’s Inalpi Arena.
Emotions ran high during the final set when Shelton saved 15-40 in the fourth game to maintain parity and hint at a tough resolution. However, the Canadian increased the pressure in the clinch and broke serve to take a 7-5 lead and seal the victory. With this victory, Auger-Aliassime will continue with his mathematical qualification option, depending on his performance against Zverev on the final day of the Bjorn Borg group.
The turn then went to Italy’s Jannik Sinner, who faced Germany’s Alexander Zverev in a crucial match for a spot in the semi-finals, Europa Press reported. Cheered on by Italian fans at the Inalpi Arena, Sinner won the match 6-4 and 6-3 in two sets. The local fighter faced two break points at the start of the match, but overcame them and maintained control of the match.
As highlighted by Europa Press, the first set was decided in the 10th game and Sinner was able to take advantage of a new break option, confirming his dominance in the set. The second set maintained the same momentum. In the third game, Sinner overcame a tough 0-40 deficit to demoralize Zverev. The German player, clearly displeased, protested the referee’s decision and shortly afterwards requested that the advertising lights on one of the fences at the edge of the track be suspended. Meanwhile, Sinner used his solidity to get another break in the 6th game and headed for victory.
Sinner’s performance, reported by Europa Press, ensured he would be among the top four tennis players in the tournament, leaving Ben Shelton, who was relying on Germany’s victory to survive the tournament, no longer a qualifying option. With Sinner’s pass now certain, the group remains pending the final day’s result between Zverev and Auger-Aliassime, which will determine the panorama of the standings.
The day’s developments solidified Sinner as one of the local favorites in the tournament, leaving Felix Auger-Aliassime with a chance to advance, but the overall result confirmed Shelton’s elimination, as reported by Europa Press. The match was characterized by a high technical level and the tension typical of the final stage of the group stage of a competition that brings together the best players on the world circuit.
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