Sinner, what a masterful debut. Jannik wins the gentlemen's derby. De Minaur knocked out, tomorrow it's Fritz's turn

Five years have flown by and the little champions have grown from that appetizer of the future. The hierarchies have remained the same: from the Next Gen ATP Finals 2019 to the 2024 Masters tournament, Jannik Sinner always wins against Alex De Minaur.

The tournament of promises was their first direct confrontation, the beginning of a domination that today counts 8 victories with this last one (6-3, 6-4) in favor of the Italian. Who already flies to the top of the group together with Taylor Fritz, his next opponent (tomorrow) in the race for the ATP Finals.

The 'fox' and the 'demon', Jannik and Alex: with them the prototype of the correct tennis player has become flesh. Sportsmen on the court as in life, one impenetrable, rigorous. The other, a perfect soldier devoted to a generous game. Point after point, never a complaint, more than between sportsmen it is a challenge between gentlemen. And it matters little to the Australian if he starts with the odds that see him guaranteed defeat. He approaches the court and immediately breaks the service of an exaggeratedly faulty Sinner.

Cold start and the concrete of the Inalpi Arena immediately freezes. Even though in the stands cheering there are Azzurri like Giorgio Chiellini, Jasmine Paolini, Flavio Cobolli and Lorenzo Sonego, who came to enjoy the show in his Turin. The cameras focus on them, and Sinner evidently gets fired up: he works De Minaur's flanks with that sharp backhand he's been practicing all afternoon and then pierces him with a cross-court backhand, snatching the serve. The Turin arena becomes a cauldron that would make San Siro envious, where an almost championship-worthy Inter-Napoli is being played at the same time.

It is the moment in which the South Tyrolean loads up his forehand, which explodes in all its power to start taking off on the Australian. Without taking too many risks, the world number 1 closes a first set that began with some uncertainty and then accelerated to the rhythm of a champion.

The Aussie, however, becomes a master of determination. He starts again without a hitch: precise, focused and armed with 'new' service trajectories that annoy the Italian. At 2-all the Italian has three chances to break his opponent's service again, but the game is interrupted at length due to a spectator in the stands feeling ill (apparently resolved without serious consequences). The Italian also makes himself noticed here, throwing a bottle of water into the crowd. When the game resumes, the muscles of the 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria seem to have cooled down, so much so that De Minaur evens the score, but the fourth break chance is the good one to go up 3-2. Then it's all downhill, in a practically perfect solo: "I could have served better - the Italian will say later". And the intentions are good given that Fritz, beaten in the final at the US Open and looking for revenge, awaits him. The American yesterday "played really well with Medvedev", says Jannik. "The details will make the difference". But today he is resting, but the Italian will still be at the Inalpi Arena to receive the trophy as number 1 at the end of the year (20,30:XNUMX). And this is already a certainty.