Jannik Sinner put in one of the most dominant performances of his career on the hard courts of Cincinnati and advanced to the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament with a demonstration of power. This victory in the quarter-finals was more than just another step towards defending his title: With an overwhelming 6:0, 6:2 win over Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, the world number one broke a personal curse and impressively demystified one of his most feared opponents.
A demonstration of strength
Before this match, his record against the Canadian was 0:2 - Sinner had never been able to win in their previous duels. But on this evening, the South Tyrolean left no doubt from the very first second as to who was the master on the pitch. Sinner swept Auger-Aliassime aside in just 71 minutes. The first set was a pure lesson and lasted just 27 minutes, during which Sinner did not allow his opponent to win a single game. Even a brief wobble at the start of the second set, when Sinner immediately conceded a break and fell 2:0 behind, did not throw the champion off his stride. He immediately shifted up a gear again, won the next six games in a row and finished the match in impressive style.
The curse is broken, next opponent to be determined
For Sinner, this victory is not only important for the tournament, but also a psychologically significant success. He has proven that he can find solutions and assert his superiority even against players who have caused him difficulties in the past. The next task now awaits the champion from South Tyrol in the semi-finals on Saturday: he will face the winner of the match between Holger Rune from Denmark and the French surprise qualifier Terence Atmane. After this performance, Sinner goes into the next round as the clear favorite.
