Sinner dodges injury to reach final with Alcaraz

Jannik Sinner fought off a challenge from Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to line up his fifth final of the season as he takes on rival Carlos Alcaraz in Sunday’s concluding US Open title match.

The Italian world No. 1 and his Spanish rival will play for a third straight Grand Slam honour after Alcaraz won at Roland Garros and Sinner took the trophy at Wimbledon.

Sinner will be competing in his fifth consecutive final at a major dating to the Open here a year ago, which he won over Taylor Fritz.

Sinner was treated for a minor abdominal complaint at the end of the second set against Auger-Aliassime but insisted it’s nothing serious.

“I just felt a small twitching after a serve when I served there in the second set at 4-3. After the treatment, I was feeling much, much better,” Sinner said. 

“At some point I didn’t feel anything anymore. I was serving back to normal pace, so it was all good. Nothing to worry about.”

The 24-year-old Sinner fired 33 winners with FAA contributing 41 unforced errors in a struggle lasting just over three and a quarter hours.

The all-star pair last met in the Cincinnati final less than three weeks ago, which only lasted five games as Sinner quit with illness.

The final will be the first at the Open between the ATP’s top two in a New ork final since Daniil Medvedev beat No. 1 Novak Djokovic in 2021.

Sinner won his 27th match on hardcourts at the majors, while clocking his 300th career match victory as he defeated Auger-Aliassime and became the youngest man in Open Era to reach all 4 Grand Slam finals in one season.

FAA, the world No. 27, came to the semis after defeating a pair of top 10 seeds in No. 3 Alexander Zverev and eighth-ranked Alex de Minaur to reach his second final at Flushing Meadows.

“Five straight Grand Slam finals, it’s something great,’’ Sinner said. “The consistency and putting myself there in the later stages of the biggest tournaments we have, it’s amazing, no?”

FAA did not walk away massively disappointed: “We were fighting out there. We had some good points. 

“I was going toe to toe at times, some sets dominating. Of course, I feel competitive, but the future will tell how close I am.”

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner celebrates victory – ATPTour.com