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World no. 4 Jannik Sinner is through to his second consecutive Rotterdam final. An in-form Italian met the home player Tallon Griekspoor in the semi-final and claimed a 6-2, 6-4 victory in an hour and 21 minutes. Thus, Jannik extended his winning streak to 14, remaining perfect and seeking his second title of the season after conquering the Australian Open.
Sinner is also chasing his third consecutive ATP 500 crown, winning Beijing and Vienna in the closing stages of 2023. If he wins the title, Jannik will become world no. 3 on Monday, passing Daniil Medvedev and moving closer to Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz.
The Italian outplayed the Dutchman on serve and return, defending all six break points in three challenging service games and keeping the pressure on the other side. Griekspoor played against four break points, giving serve away three times and ending his campaign in the semi-final.
Sinner landed 16 winners and eight unforced errors and outplayed the rival's 19-18 ratio. The Italian fired 26 service winners and had the upper hand in the shortest and mid-range exchanges. Jannik made a reliable start and clinched a break in the first game of the encounter after Tallon's loose backhand.
World no. 4 cemented the lead with a service winner in game two and secured another fine hold at 2-1 after the rival's backhand mistake. Firing from all cylinders, Jannik cracked a forehand crosscourt winner in game five, delivering a break and extending the gap to 4-1.
Griekspoor stepped in on the return in the sixth game and created a break chance with a forehand return winner.
Sinner denied it with a service winner before netting a backhand and offering his rival the second break chance.
The Italian erased it with a perfect drop shot winner and landed another to bring the game home and move 5-1 in front. Jannik served for the opener in game eight and earned three set points with service winners. The young gun seized the first, taking the first set 6-2 after 34 minutes.
Tallon produced two fine holds at the beginning of the second set and created two break chances in the fourth game after Jannik's poor drop shot attempt. Sinner denied them with powerful serves and landed another to bring the game home and level the score at 2-2.
Jannik Sinner and Alex de Minaur are the finalists in Rotterdam.
The Italian struggled again in the sixth game, playing against two break points and canceling them to keep his initial shot intact.
Griekspoor provided another fine hold in game seven, holding at love with a booming serve and keeping the pressure on the other side. Sinner followed that pace in game eight and stepped in on the return in the next one. Tallon missed a routine forehand and offered Jannik three break points.
The home player hit a double fault on the first, falling behind and allowing world no. 4 to serve for the win at 5-4. Jannik landed a service winner in the tenth game, sealing the deal and extending his winning streak to 14. Alex de Minaur faced Grigor Dimitrov on his 25th birthday and scored a 6-4, 6-3 win in an hour and 23 minutes, moving into his 15th ATP final and seeking the eighth title.
Alex outplayed Grigor behind the second serve and had the upper hand in the pivotal moments. The Aussie defended all three break points and clinched three breaks from as many chances. De Minaur built the advantage in the shortest range up to four strokes, with nothing separating them in the mid-range and most advanced ones.
Dimitrov made a slow start and sprayed a forehand error in the first game of the match, getting broken at love. Alex cemented the advantage with a forehand winner in game two and saved two break points at 2-1 to remain in front.
They served well in the upcoming games, and Grigor extended the set with a service winner in game nine. De Minaur served for the set at 5-4 and seized the third set point, wrapping up the first set in 42 minutes.
The Bulgarian squandered a game point in the first game of the second set and faced a break point. The Aussie forced an error from his opponent, delivering an early break and moving a set and a break in front. De Minaur held after deuce in the second game and moved 3-1 up with a hold at 30 in game four.
Grigor created a break chance in the sixth game, and Alex saved it with a fone attack and a forced error. Dimitrov landed an ace in the seventh game, holding and remaining within one break deficit. De Minaur gained a 5-3 lead with a hold at love in game eight, forcing Dimitrov to serve to stay in the match.
The Bulgarian netted a backhand in the ninth game and offered the Aussie the match point. Grigor placed a forehand wide and sent Alex into the title clash.