MONTE CARLO, April 11 – Italy’s Jannik Sinner dominated Germany’s Alexander Zverev with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 victory Saturday, advancing to the Monte-Carlo Masters championship match.
The 24-year-old Italian, ranked second in the tournament, will compete in his first-ever final in Monaco against either top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz or French player Valentin Vacherot.
Sinner’s latest triumph continues his remarkable season after capturing both the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open championships last month. His achievement places him among elite company – only Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have previously reached finals at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo within a single season.
“I’m very, very happy,” Sinner said. “We came here trying to give myself some feedback. Now finding myself in the final means a lot to me.”
“Every match, every day is different. I’m very happy about today’s performance. I felt really solid from the beginning. When you’re a break up straight away, it changes the dynamic of the match. Let’s see what’s coming in the final.”
Facing Zverev for the fourth straight Masters 1000 semifinal encounter, Sinner delivered an almost perfect first set performance, quickly establishing a two-break advantage before finishing with a backhand winner.
The second set featured more competitive play, remaining tied 4-4 before Sinner took control, breaking Zverev’s serve and securing the 6-4 victory.
Discussing his upcoming final opponent, Sinner recognized the difficulty either player would present.
“Carlos has a tough match now. Valentin continues to show what he’s capable of, especially here playing with the home crowd, even though Carlos is the favourite,” he said. “Assuming he wins, I’m looking forward to it.”
“These are matches I practise for; why I wake up. It’s great to have at least one match before Roland Garros against him. That’s for sure a big test for me. At the same time, I have nothing to lose.”
Saturday’s win improved Sinner’s overall record against Zverev to nine victories and four defeats.
