2 hours ago
3
Jannik Sinner has become the youngest man to reach the final of all nine Masters 1000 tournaments after swatting aside Arthur Fils at the Madrid Open.
The world No 1 follows Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer in completing the set and, at 24, has done so at a younger age than his illustrious predecessors – taking a year off Djokovic’s record.
Sinner has been open about finding the conditions at the Caja Magica difficult but he has dropped just one set this fortnight and was mightily impressive against one of the tour’s most in-form players in the Frenchman, Fils.
The top seed did not face a break point throughout his 6-2, 6-4 victory and is now only one victory away from becoming the first man to win five successive Masters titles.
“Obviously very, very happy,” Sinner said to Sky Sports. “One more final here, it’s an amazing result. For me, the most important was trying to raise my level today, which I’ve done, especially first set – very, very aggressive and I’m changing direction very well. I’m very happy to close it out in two and it means a lot to me, of course.”
Sinner has not been beaten since a surprise loss to Jakub Mensik in Doha in February, winning titles in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, with his unbeaten streak now at 22 matches.
Emma Raducanu is set to return to action at the Italian Open next week – and has been working again with the coach who helped her to the US Open title. The British No 1 was heavily criticised for parting ways with Andrew Richardson following her incredible success in New York in 2021, where she became the first qualifier to win a grand slam title.
Raducanu’s camp confirmed she spent time training last week in Spain with Richardson at the Ferrer Tennis Academy near Alicante, where he is based.
Richardson, who also coached Raducanu as a junior, had reportedly been keen to continue their short-term partnership after the US Open, but she chose to hire a more experienced tour coach in Torben Beltz.
That proved to be one of a succession of brief coaching appointments Raducanu has made during her career, the most recent of which ended after the Australian Open when she parted ways with Francisco Roig.
PA Media understands there are currently no plans for Richardson to have a role going forward, with Raducanu having worked mainly with hitting partner Alexis Canter since the split from Roig, although she did briefly turn again to Mark Petchey in Indian Wells in March.
Raducanu has been absent from the tour since a second-round thumping by Amanda Anisimova in Indian Wells, pulling out of tournaments in Miami, Linz and Madrid citing the effects of a virus she picked up at the beginning of February.
It was unclear whether she would make the Italian Open in Rome, which begins on Tuesday, but, having returned to training, Raducanu is hopeful of playing and will practise at the Foro Italico on Saturday.
English (US)