Six Kings Slam: Jannik Sinner edges past Novak Djokovic in hard-fought battle to book final spot

Jannik Sinner prevailed against a resilient Novak Djokovic in the Six Kings Slam and advanced to the tournament final. The world No. 1 was delivering an impressive performance, but Djokovic never gave up, capitalising on Sinner's drop in his first serve and forcing a decisive set. The Serbian showed discomfort in his shoulder during the third set, and the 23-year-old Italian raised his level towards the end to secure a hard-fought 6-2, 6-7(0), 6-4 victory.

They faced each other just four days ago in the final of the Shanghai Masters, where, despite Djokovic staying competitive against the Italian, he simply couldn’t find answers to his serve, with Sinner closing the victory in straight sets.

From the moment they stepped onto the court, the crowd was clearly in favour of Djokovic. He appeared poised to trouble Sinner on return after a high-level first game. However, Sinner held his serve and went on to win 8 of the next 9 points, surging ahead 3-0 after securing the first break.

Throughout the set, the 24-time Grand Slam champion won just 58% of his service points compared to Sinner's 80%. While the Serbian managed to hold serve a couple of times, the Italian secured a second break in the 8th game, taking the set 6-2.

In the second set, Djokovic quickly earned a break on his first opportunity, a stark contrast to their previous encounter just days earlier. The 38-year-old led 2-0, but Sinner mounted a comeback, reclaiming the break to level the match.

Although Sinner appeared more dominant throughout the set, Djokovic stayed in the fight with his serve. The Italian's power troubled the Serbian, especially from the forehand. Nevertheless, Djokovic showed his class in tough moments and managed to take everything to a tiebreak, where he played flawlessly with an impressive 7-0, extending the match to a third set.

In the third set, the match seemed wide open. Already leading 2-1, Djokovic showed some discomfort in his right shoulder and requested medical assistance during a changeover, although a medical time-out was not required.

Sinner had several break points in a long 5th game lasting almost 12 minutes, but he squandered four opportunities due to unforced errors. Both players managed breaks in the 7th and 8th games. With the score at 4-4, the decisive break came in favour of the Italian, who secured the victory after two and a half hours, winning 6-2, 6-7(0), 6-4.

Sinner advances to the final, where he awaits the winner between Carlos Alcaraz and 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, who is making his last appearance before retiring at the Davis Cup Finals.