It was not easy for Jannik Sinner to defeat Terence Atmane in the first semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters 1000, with the French tennis player creating problems for the world number 1 especially in the first set. The Italian ace raised his level just when he needs it most, taking advantage of a double fault by his rival at the beginning of the tiebreak and creating that gap that was decisive.
The four-time Grand Slam champion also had some difficulties in the first game of the second set, in which he made some very unusual errorswith his forehand and seemed to be suffering a bit athletically also due to the high temperatures.
At that moment, a suggestion from his coach Simone Vagnozzi was fundamental. The latter told him to shorten the duration of the rallies and to push his shots to the maximum in the first two points in the return phase, in order to recover his energiesand put pressure on Atmane.
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Sinner will face Alcaraz for the title
After that small moment of difficulty, the 24-year-old from Sesto Pusteria returned to play his best tennis and obtained his 26th victory in a row on the hard courts. He will be able to win his second title in a row in Ohio if he beats his top rival Carlos Alcaraz on Monday, in what will also be a small rematch of the Wimbledon Championships final staged just over a month ago.
The world No.1 has not lost a match on this surface since the 2024 Beijing ATP 500 final, when it was Carlitos who defeated him at the end of a final full of emotions. The 22-year-old Spaniard has a 2-1 lead in their record of matches against the Italian in 2025, but Jannik won their last clash (at the Championships) and will have a slight advantage mentally.
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Both will have the chance to test their level exactly one week before the start of the 2025 US Open, which will be staged in the Big Apple from August 24 to September 7.
