Tennis-Zverev sets up semi-final clash with Djokovic, Medvedev beats Sinner (updated)

Muzali Arts

18/11/2021 15:21

(Updates Medvedev win)
    Nov 18 (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev booked his place in the
last four of the ATP Finals where he will face world number one
Novak Djokovic after a 6-2 6-4 win over Hubert Hurkacz in Turin
on Thursday. 
    The German fired 22 winners and closed out the match in 62
minutes, the fastest of the tournament so far. In the second Red
Group match of the day, defending champion Daniil Medvedev
struggled past Jannik Sinner 6-0 6-7(5) 7-6(8). The winner of
Friday's match between Andrey Rublev and Casper Ruud will
complete the semi-final line-up.
    Zverev will face Green Group winner Djokovic on Saturday for
the fifth time this year. The 24-year-old German has been beaten
by Djokovic three times this year, including in the last four of
the U.S. Open, but he defeated the Serbian in the semi-finals of
the Tokyo Olympics.
    "I have played Novak in every single big hard-court
tournament this year," the world number three said. "We are
making a habit of playing in the later rounds at big
tournaments. It is going to be an entertaining one."
    Zverev was looking to make a statement in Turin, having won
via a retirement in his first match against injured Matteo
Berrettini before losing in three sets to Medvedev on Tuesday. 
    The 2018 champion certainly made his intentions clear in the
first set against Hurkacz, breaking the Pole in the first game
and racing to a 4-0 lead. It took Zverev only 27 minutes to seal
the set 6-2.
    In the second set Hurkacz hit a number of wayward forehands
to hand Zverev a crucial break to lead 5-4, from which the
German served out the match to set up a clash with Djokovic.
    "Today was a tough match mentally because I needed to win,
so I was 100% focused," said Zverev. 
    "It was very up and down, and I am happy to be through and
win in straight sets. You can always improve. The margins are
always very small between the top players, but to win you have
to do the details right. I hope I can do that on Saturday."
    World number two Medvedev, already through to the last four,
appeared to be heading for a crushing victory over Sinner when
he romped through the first set 6-0.
    But Sinner, who replaced Italian compatriot Berrettini in
the draw, changed tactics in the second set and delighted the
raucous home crowd when his attacking net play allowed him to
draw level at one-set-all. 
    The Russian had a chance to break Sinner to go 3-1 up in the
third set but instead dropped his own serve to hand the Italian
a 4-2 lead.
    Sinner, after being broken straight back, squandered two
match points in the tie break before Medvedev thundered a
backhand down the line to clinch victory after two hours and 32
minutes.

 (Reporting by Christian Radnedge
Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)
 ((Christian.Radnedge@thomsonreuters.com;))