Italian tennis enjoys a moment of triumph, setting up for a Sunday of finals on grass courts ahead of Wimbledon.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner triumphed in Halle, Germany, defeating China’s Zhizhen Zhang in straight sets: 6-4, 7-6(3). The match lasted an hour and 39 minutes, and tomorrow Sinner will play his first grass-court final against his friend and doubles partner, Hubert Hurkacz.
Meanwhile, in London, Lorenzo Musetti advanced to the final at Queen’s Club after defeating Australian Jordan Thompson. Musetti will face American Tommy Paul, who overcame fellow countryman Sebastian Korda, for the title.
Sinner in Halle final
“I won four tough matches; it’s good preparation for Wimbledon. Next week I won’t play, which will be good for me and my body,” said Jannik Sinner after his match with Zhang Zhizhen.
“It was a tough match with more rallies than yesterday, which was what I needed. Today Zhang played well. He served and returned well, and I had to be very careful. I saved a set point in the second set, but anything can happen on grass.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s final against his doubles partner, Polish player Hubert Hurkacz, Sinner remarked, “It will be very balanced. He plays very well on grass. It will still be a good day; I will try to have fun and show good tennis. We know each other well, so we’ll see how it goes. Knowing him, he will prepare very well; he always raises the level of his game in official matches. I’m happy to play this final; then we’ll see how it goes.” Sinner’s impressive 2024 record includes four finals, 37 victories, and only three defeats. “I’m trying to improve, and with hard work, I’ve reached this point. We never stop working; I know we must continue like this, maybe even more. They know me well by now, and I’ll have to be prepared,” concluded Sinner.
Additionally, in Halle, the doubles team of Bolelli-Vavassori will compete in the final, facing Germany’s Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz, the tournament’s second seeds, for the title.
Musetti in Queen’s final
Musetti’s semi-final against Thompson at Queen’s was more challenging. The Tuscan player won in three sets – 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 – after a high-intensity match, with both players showing excellent grass-court skills.
“It was one of the toughest matches this week,” commented Musetti. “He played at an exceptional level, especially in the second set. In the end, it was very tough. I came through with some excellent shots, and the break I got gave me the confidence to finish. That was the key moment: I had already had many opportunities, and in the end, I made it. There’s one last step to take.”
Women’s tennis
Elisabetta Cocciaretto, however, fell just short of the final in Birmingham. The 23-year-old from Fermo, ranked No. 44 WTA, was partially hindered by a left thigh issue and lost 6-2, 6-2 in just under an hour and a half to Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva. The Kazakh player, ranked No. 41 WTA, reached her first final in a grass tournament.