At mid-morning, the proclamations and firecrackers of the protesters who walk along Corso Filippo Turati in Torino, shouting: “Pa-les-tina!”, echo through the arcades. At midday it also smells like gunpowder in the futuristic pavilion, where Jannik Sinner’s racket emits its characteristic crackle: a delight. In his line, the Italian; With 6-3 and 7-6(3) the heavy hitter Ben Shelton seals the group stage undefeated and without giving up a single set. He has 29 consecutive indoors, which equals the sequence signed by Roger Federer between 2010 and 2012. This Saturday (2:30 p.m., Movistar+) he will face Alex de Miñaur in the first round of the semifinals.
Sinner defends the title he won a year ago and finally, in the fabulous fight that both have waged since January. The one from San Cándido (24 years old) triumphed at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while the Spaniard did so at Roland Garros and the US Open in New York. In any case, the local tennis player looks forward to the final stretch of this tournament, taking into account the wave he is surfing on and that a hypothetical victory on Sunday could leave a magnificent taste in his mouth. He will not compete in the Davis Cup in order to recharge his batteries and reach 2026 as sharp as possible, but first he completes the mission in Turin day by day.
Alcaraz, yes, is unattainable. Before jumping onto the court to perform for Shelton, he expresses himself. “He deserves it because he has had an incredible season. I am happy for him. He has won two major tournaments and eight tournaments, an impressive number. He is playing at a very high level and plays very aggressively. He has been under pressure and has handled it very well. I am happy for him, although if I said I was happy, I would be lying,” transmits the world number two, who will begin next year with “the motivation” to regain control of the circuit. The Spaniard will travel to the antipodes with the number 1 on his back and depending on what happens in the coming days, perhaps with a bigger loot.
For now, Felix Auger-Aliassime, a Guadianesque and disconcerting competitor, awaits him in the semifinal. It comes and goes. With the ability to go far, he has not finished exploding, as if he were playing in chains. However, these days when gasoline is scarce everywhere, things look good, or at least enough to eliminate a Zverev who is lower than before the summer. Emotionally and physically exhausted, the German, master winner in 2018 and 2021, says goodbye: 6-4 and 7-6(4), after 2h 07m. “I feel blessed,” Auger-Aliassime dedicates to the audience. You will need it. Even the face to face with Alcaraz, but deceptive: 4-3. Four successive wins for the Murcian.
