Jannik Sinner, rather unsurprisingly, is into yet another Masters 1000 final.
This time, it was at the expense of Arthur Fils, whom he dismantled in straight sets during today’s Madrid Open semi-final.
On paper, this clash had all the makings of a really competitive match, pitting two players against each another who were both yet to lose on clay this season.
Alas, the ruthless quality of Jannik Sinner was just too much for Fils, who was blown away in the first set and was punished late in the second. This made it 27 consecutive wins for him at the Masters 1000 level.
Perhaps most interesting was what the world number one said after the match, speaking to Sky Sports. Despite adding yet another victory to his incredible streak, he is far from finished evolving.
Jannik Sinner reacts after reaching the Madrid Open final
Sinner began by rating his level in the semi-final, admitting: “I was very, very happy.”
That should come as no surprise, as he has given himself a fine opportunity to claim yet another Masters 1000 title.
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“One more final here,” he continued: “ it’s an amazing result. For me, the most important was trying to raise my level today, which I have done, especially in the first set. I was very aggressive and changing direction very well, and I felt the ball very well in the first set.
“In the second set, it changed a bit with the new balls. It was more bouncy. But at the same time, very happy to close it out in two. It means a lot to me.”
Then asked about his serve and volley, and if he feels like he has mastered the art, Sinner claimed: “Mastering? I don’t know. There are some shots where I feel there is a bit more feel to learn still. A couple of drop shots were slightly long on the forehand side. Backhand it is going a little bit better.
“For example, the drop shot down the line is still missing with the backhand. I am trying to go to the net a bit more too, this I feel I can improve. But we are talking about very small details but these can make a big difference against the best players in the world.
“But this surface is very tough to play. When you are not in the right way there is kind of no way out, but fortunately that was not today.”
Sinner has recently been compared to Rafael Nadal, and has actually matched one of his all-time records with this latest win.
Jannik Sinner creates history by reaching Madrid Open final
Unsurprisingly, Sinner has once again claimed another piece of history by beating Fils and reaching yet another final.
It really feels like, particularly at the Masters 1000 level, nobody comes close to him.
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And now, by making it to his fourth straight final at these tournaments, he has matched a feat only ever previously achieved by Roger Federer in 2006 and Rafael Nadal in 2011.
Should he win in Sunday’s final, more history will surely be created, as he bids to do the unthinkable and claim all nine Masters 1000 titles in the same year.
