SINNER'S 'SPECIAL' YEAR-END TOP SPOT

First Italian to finish the year as No. 1 will clinch 7th title of 2024 if he beats Djokovic

- AFP, REUTERS

SHANGHAI – Jannik Sinner secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking by beating Czech 30th seed Tomas Machac 6-4, 7-5 in the Shanghai Masters semi-finals on Oct 12, as he also became the first Italian to reach the tournament's showpiece match.

Machac made a promising start by winning the opening two games before Sinner got on the board, with the top seed closing out a hard-fought first set in 44 minutes after errors flew from Machac's racket.

The two-time Grand Slam champion was made to work hard by Machac, even more so in the second set, but Sinner proved too solid for his fellow 23-year-old as he sealed his 64th win of 2024 while making just nine unforced errors.

He will next face fourth-seeded and record 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic, who outlasted American seventh seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).

The Italian's dominant season has seen him win his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and another at the US Open. He is the first Italian to finish the year as world No. 1.