Felix Auger-Aliassime Questions ‘Invincible’ Status of Jannik Sinner Ahead of Paris Masters Final

Jannik Sinner breezed past a struggling Alexander Zverev to secure a spot in the final of the Paris Masters for the first time in his career. Up against him will be someone who defeated him twice in their four matches.

It’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, who knocked out an in-form Alexander Bublik in the last four. Auger-Aliassime secured the two wins over Sinner during the 2022 season, but at present, the four-time Grand Slam champion is invincible- or at least what the majority of the tennis world thinks.

But Auger-Aliassime is not of the same opinion. He recalled the two defeats he suffered at the hands of the World No.2 this year.

Especially in Cincinnati, the defeat was very tough. I was far from beating him. So, at the US Open, it was much better. At one point, I saw him hesitate. In fact, at one point, I almost achieved a momentum shift that allowed me to turn the match in my favor.

Auger-Aliassime will be playing a Masters 1000 final for the second time in his career (first was last year’s Madrid Open). Sinner, on the other hand, has reached a Masters 1000 final for the third time this season following the Italian Open and the Cincinnati Masters (lost both to Carlos Alcaraz).

For various reasons, maybe he had a performance dip, and the match took an unexpected turn. But it was encouraging to see. Sinner is not unbeatable. He is very strong, yes. At times, he is unstoppable, but he is not invincible.

Felix Auger-Aliassime added

Before this year, the Canadian reached the semifinals in Paris back in 2022. In Paris, he played the semifinals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time this year. The 25-year-old is chasing his fourth title of the season and will be playing his fifth final of the season.

Jannik Sinner on his straight-set win over Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev revealed that his ankle swelled up a lot following his tough three-set win over Daniil Medvedev, and it affected his footwork and serve mechanics while he was clashing with Jannik Sinner. The defending champion was in discomfort throughout the match, and the Italian also acknowledged the same when asked to assess the match during his interview with Sky Sports.

Honestly, there’s not much to say on the tennis level today, given how Sascha was feeling. It’s not easy to make the final in Vienna, then you come here and have two days off, but you still have to train… and then he won to win an incredible match last night, saving two match points against Medvedev in the third set. It was a tough match for him, one that takes a lot out of you both mentally and physically.

The win has helped Sinner take a 5-4 head-to-head lead over the three-time Grand Slam finalist. The defeat marked the end of Zverev’s bid for his first Masters 1000 of the season. Zverev produced his best in tournaments of this level this year when he reached the semifinals of the Canadian Open, Cincinnati Masters, and the Paris Masters.

Sinner did not have any point to defend in Paris as he skipped the tournament last year. The 24-year-old will reclaim his No.1 ranking from Carlos Alcaraz if he beats Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The six-time Grand Slam champion has 11,250 points in the live rankings, while Sinner has 11,150 points. If he wins, he will have 11,500 points.

But during the ATP Finals, Sinner once again will lose his ranking points because he will be playing the year-end championships as the defending champion. Alcaraz doesn’t have many points to defend as he failed to progress to the semifinals last year.

Also read: Iga Swiatek Admits She Randomly Watches Rafael Nadal’s Videos for Seeking Inspiration

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