Amid the annual upheaval at the Australian Open, of party courts, one-point fairytales, and ever-expanding festivals, some things don't change. Alex de Minaur has had the same locker every year of the 10 he has played at Melbourne Park, and he once again carries the hopes of home fans into the year's first grand slam. On the Groundhog Day repetition of the international circuit, it's the kind of familiarity that might breed superstition.
Defending champion Jannik Sinner reached the semifinals of the ATP Finals with a 6-4 6-3 win over two-time winner Alexander Zverev on Wednesday, with Ben Shelton eliminated after losing earlier to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the same group. Italy's Sinner extended his indoor hardcourt winning streak to 28 matches, but victory over his German rival was not as comfortable as the scoreline suggests, with the world No 2 under pressure early in both sets.
I loved it, Trump said. First of all, the two players have unbelievable talent. It just seemed that they hit the ball harder than I've ever seen before. Incredible talent. And I enjoyed it. The president continued: I used to go [to the event] all the time, but lately it's a little bit more more difficult to go. I really enjoyed it. They were really nice, the fans were really nice. I didn't know what to expect.
Still, Sinner is the No. 1-ranked player in men's tennis and has won the past three Grand Slam tournaments played on hard courts, so no one was surprised when he set aside some lapses and emerged to beat No. 27 Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 Saturday to take his title defense at Flushing Meadows to the fourth round. "That I have pressure and tension is normal. I've had that for a year, and you need to handle it," the Italian said.
