Ohio, August 17(HS): Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz booked their places in the Masters 1000 final on Saturday with authoritative victories marked by very different circumstances.
World No. 1 Sinner was clinical against Frenchman Terence Atmane, closing out the contest in straight sets. Serving to stay in the match, Atmane quickly fell behind 0-40. Sinner capitalized on his third match point when the Frenchman netted a forehand, sealing a routine yet assured passage into the championship match.
The second semi-final, however, carried more drama. Alcaraz’s duel with Alexander Zverev was disrupted early in the opening set when play was halted for 11 minutes as paramedics attended to a spectator in the stands. Both players stood together at the net, watching anxiously until play resumed.
Once back on court, Alcaraz displayed resilience, saving three straight break points to level at 2-2 before producing a deft backhand volley to earn a crucial break for 4-3. He held serve to take the first set.
The Spaniard opened the second set with another break but surrendered it immediately in a shaky spell highlighted by an uncharacteristic run of four double faults. Zverev, however, was visibly hampered in his movement, grimacing and pausing against the back wall after the game. From there, the German could do little more than finish the contest as Alcaraz raced ahead with a love hold for 5-3 and broke at love to seal victory in clinical fashion.
“Happy for the final but feeling bad for Sasha,” Alcaraz wrote on the on-court camera after the match. “Wish you all the best.”
With Sinner sharp and Alcaraz surging into form, Sunday’s final promises a clash of two of the sport’s brightest stars, each chasing another Masters 1000 crown.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
