Sinner Advances to Semifinals, Eyes World No. 1 Spot at Paris Masters
In a commanding display, Jannik Sinner defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, moving one step closer to reclaiming the world No. 1 ranking. The victory on Friday marks Sinner’s 24th consecutive win on indoor hard courts and sets him up for a potential title run at the La Defense Arena.
Sinner’s victory comes in the wake of rival Carlos Alcaraz’s surprising second-round exit, providing the Italian with an opportunity to ascend to the top of the ATP rankings. “At the moment I’m not thinking about the ranking,” Sinner stated, emphasizing a day-by-day approach to his matches.
The 24-year-old’s performance against Shelton showcased his dominant form, as he secured the first set in just 34 minutes, breaking Shelton’s serve twice. Despite a brief resurgence from Shelton, who leveled the second set after breaking Sinner’s serve, the Italian regained control and sealed the match on his first match point. With this win, Sinner extends his winning streak against Shelton to seven matches.
Looking ahead, Sinner is set to face either Alexander Zverev or Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals, both of whom he has beaten in their last three encounters. He aims for his fifth title of the season, having already claimed victories at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the China Open, along with last weekend’s Vienna Open.
Earlier in the day, Alexander Bublik made headlines by reaching his first Masters 1000 semifinal, overcoming Alex de Minaur in a thrilling match that ended 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5. Bublik’s victory keeps him in the race for a spot at the ATP Finals in Turin, where he is competing for the eighth berth against fellow contenders.
Bublik expressed excitement about his semifinal matchup against Felix Auger-Aliassime, who decisively defeated Valentin Vacherot 6-2, 6-2 to advance. “That’s definitely an important match, but not probably the most important of my life,” Bublik said, reflecting on his path to this pivotal moment in his career.
