By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, October 12, 2024
Top-seeded Jannik Sinner beat Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5 becoming the third world No. 1 to reach the Rolex Shanghai Masters final.
Photo credit: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty
Serving to stay in the match, Tomas Machac paused play to politely point out Jannik Sinner pushed his gear to break point.
“Too fast, you play too fast, the racquet is broken,” Machac told Sinner as he pointed to his banged up stick while changing to a new Yonex racquet.
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Unleashing his version of damage control, Sinner beat Machac 6-4, 7-5 to reach his eighth final of the year at the Rolex Shanghai Masters and secure the season-ending world No. 1 ranking for the first time.
The victory ensures Sinner is the first Italian in history to end a season as ATP world No. 1.
"It's a good feeling. I'm very happy to achieve this," Sinner said afterward. "It was an amazing season for me, and it's not finished yet. Tomorrow is a great final ahead, first time here in Shanghai, so I'm looking forward to it, and then we see how it goes, hopefully, it's going to be a good match.
"And, you know, being No. 1 in the world at the end of the year, it was only a dream just to become No. 1, now finishing it, it's also a different feeling. But now during the tournament it's a bit different, so I'm just trying to be focused for tomorrow, and then we see how it goes."
The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion Sinner is the third World No. 1 to reach the Shanghai final, following in the footsteps of Novak Djokovic in 2015 and Rafael Nadal, who was runner-up to Roger Federer in 2017.
Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Federer was in the crowd for the semifinals and when the Swiss Maestro’s face flashed on the big screen fans erupted in an ovation.
The top-seeded Sinner played with power and precision, raising his 2024 record to 64-6–-matching his 2023 mark for most wins in a season—and putting himself one win from a seventh title of the year. Sinner committed just nine unforced errors—24 fewer than fellow big-hitter Machac—in a on hour, 42-minute victory.
The 23-year-old Sinner will play either four-time champion Novak Djokovic or the man he beat in the US Open final, American Taylor Fritz, in Sunday’s Shanghai final.
Empowered by stunning Carlos Alcaraz for his second Top 5 win in the quarterfinals, Machac came out firing.
Bidding to become the first man to earn wins over World No. 1 and No. 2 in the same tournament since Alexander Zverev at the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, Machac made a rousing start ripping a forehand return down the line to break in the opening game.
It was just the second time Sinner surrendered serve in the tournament. Machac backed up the break at 30 for 2-0.
Slamming down two aces, Sinner stamped a love hold in the third game to get on the board.
The top seed slid a forehand pass crosscourt to gain break point in the fourth game. By then, Machac had saved 21 of 24 break points in the tournament. Sinner spun a backhand down the line to break back for 2-all.
Throughout much of the opening set, Machac was hitting his forehand bigger, but Sinner was playing with more precision.
The man from Czechia committed his 10th forehand error of the set to face a set point in the 10th game. Sinner scalded a low ball the net-rushing Machac could not control as the US Open champion broke again to snatch the 44-minute opener.
In a near-pristine set, Sinner committed just three unforced errors—13 fewer than Machac, who was pushing play.
Sinner was serving at 3-all, 30-all in set two when the pair went mano a mano at net. Sinner repelled a Machac forehand volley with a backhand volley winner for set point then pumped a twisting second serve to hold for 4-3 after 77 minutes of play.
Machac sent a stretched forehand return right off the baseline then bolted a backhand winner for break point in the ninth game. Sinner saved it with a crosscourt backhand. Sinner erased a second break point pounding a forehand winner down the line. Sinner subdued stress posting a tough hold for 5-4.
Pointing to a dent in his red Yonex racquet, Machac jokingly informed Sinner it was all his fault.
“Too fast, you play too fast, the racquet is broken,” Machac told Sinner as he pointed to the disjointed stick while changing to a new Yonex racquet.
First Rate: Jannik Sinner secures the year-end world No. 1 ranking reaching his 8th final of the year in Shanghai:
The 23-year-old Machac withstood the racquet change holding to level after 10 games.
Serving at 5-6, Machac went all in on an aggressive forehand, but dragged it slightly wide. That 33rd unforced error gave Sinner match point.
Opening the court with a backhand down the line, Sinner stalked the short ball and pounded down a bounce smash to end it.