"You play too fast"- Jannik Sinner's Shanghai Masters SF opponent Tomas Machac hilariously accuses Italian of breaking his racket
World No. 33 Tomas Machac hilariously accused Jannik Sinner of breaking his racquet during their semifinal bout in the Shanghai Masters. The Italian outclassed Machac in one hour and 43 minutes, 6-4, 7-5.
Sinner is making his second appearance in the Shanghai Masters this year and is now one win away from lifting the title. He's chalked up 21 wins from his last 22 matches on tour.
Machac indulged in some friendly banter with Sinner on the court during their semifinals. He accused the top seed of breaking his racquet due to his potent all-around game and heavy hitting from the baseline.
"Too fast, the rallies is too fast the racquet is broken, you play too fast," Tomas Machac said
Sinner has been the player to beat on the men's tour this year. He's garnered 64 wins from 70 matches, including title-winning runs in Melbourne, Rotterdam, Halle, Miami, Cincinnati and New York. He also secured a runner-up finish in the China Open, losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the finals.
The 23-year-old opened his account at the Majors this year with an exceptional run in the Australian Open. He ended Novak Djokovic's six-year-long win streak in Melbourne in the semifinals and then overpowered Daniil Medvedev to lift the title in the finals. Sinner defeated the Russian in an epic five-set match, 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
The youngster added another feather to his cap by winning the US Open Championships this year. He entered New York on the back of a title-winning run in Cincinnati and then continued his purple patch to clinch his first title at Flushing Meadows, outsmarting Taylor Fritz in the finals, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5.
Sinner has also guaranteed his place at the top of the ATP Rankings this year. With Carlos Alcaraz's early exit in the Shanghai Masters, he is poised to end the year as the No. 1 ranked player in the world.
Jannik Sinner will face Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Shanghai Masters 2024
Top seed Jannik Sinner will take on fourth seed Novak Djokovic in the finals of the Shanghai Masters. Djokovic leads the head-to-head against the Italian 4-3.
While Sinner edged past Machac in the semifinals, Djokovic made light work of Taylor Fritz in the last four. He defeated the American in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6(6).
The Shanghai crowd can expect a close encounter between Sinner and Djokovic in the finals. The Italian has won three out of their last four matches, which were all played on hard courts.
While Djokovic has four titles to his name in Shanghai, Jannik Sinner is yet to open his account at the Masters 1000 event. The duo will take on each other on Sunday (October 13, 2024).