Stefanos Tsitsipas 4-6 4-6 Jannik Sinner - result from Day 1 of the 2023 Nitto ATP finals as the Italian wows the home crowd at the Pala Alpitour in Turin

The big serve down the T has been Sinner’s key play throughout the match and it pays dividends again here.

The forehand also enjoys it’s role with a wrong-footing winner up the line to tee up two match points.

Jannik only needs one as his ninth ace clinches a straight sets win in one hour and 25 minutes.

Tsitsipas clenches his fist after unleashing a fizzing crosscourt forehand, but it’s been too much of a rare sight today for him to make enough of an impact.

A clinical crosscourt smash ends any hope for Sinner to break to clinch the contest and he will now look to serve it out…

Three huge forehands and another hefty serve do all of the lifting for Jannik as he marauds to another efficient game to 15.

Time is running out for Stef now with the Italian one game away from the win.

A wide, sixth ace of the match concludes a rare, straightforward clean hold for the Greek. He’s been second best all match but is close enough on the score to turn the tables if he can find something extra….

He’ll need to conjure it up soon though, with the finish line growing larger on Sinner’s horizon.

A couple of huge first serves down the T and a serve plus one put Jannik on the front foot before a double fault blots his copybook. It’s a more blip as he nails another hefty first serve and is now just two more holds from victory.

Stef survives a couple of near misses from Sinner before staying in touch with a wonderful forehand down the line on the run.

No danger there. Jannik continues what looks like an unrelenting charge to an opening day win with a dominant game to 15.

Stefanos desperately needs to mix things up here to try and change the narrative.

Stef is staring down the barrel at 0-40 but he suddenly springs to life, unloading the forehand and a series of big serves to fend all three off. An ace down the T completes a morale-boosting recovery from deuce, but he’s going to need a lot more of that sort of tennis to halt the Sinner charge here.

You don’t get much better than that and the Italian crowd are loving it!

Sinner goes on the attack at the start Set 2 and the Greek can’t help but glance anxiously at his support team in his box.

A weak backhand into the middle of the net and a poor attempt at a crosscourt dropshot complicate matters for the 2019 champion and Sinner is able to test him from deuce.

The Italian survives game point on a trio of occasions and then brings the heat off that forehand to lure a backhand into the tramlines and snare break point.

Tsitsipas attacks Jannik’s backhand wing but the home favourite has all the answers and it’s that same wing that lets the Greek down as he slaps another into the net to cough up the instant break.

It’s nervy from Sinner, perhaps for the first time in the match, but he finds a way on his second set point to take the opener in 39 minutes.

The Italian misses his first three first serves and then blows a routine forehand into the net to feel some heat at 30-30.

A big serve puts him in the driving seat but Tsitsipas unleashes a pearl of a backhand up the line before making deuce with a clinical forehand winner. Sinner remains unfazed and clutch work on serve edges him through to take charge of this first match in Green Group.

Stef poses the serve-out question with a stunning forehand to close out a rapid game to 15.

It’s the full repertoire from Sinner. He stays focused and resets the rally in the opening point following a superb defensive lob from Tsitsipas. It merely delays the inevitable as Sinner stays solid in the exchange to lure an error long. From there, it’s routine as a fizzing forehand, clinical volley and a fifth ace of the contest clock up a very tidy love hold.

Stef’s forehand comes to the rescue with a scorching winner on the run the pick of the points as he wrestles his way back from 15-30 to stay in contention.

That is the definition of clutch!

Sinner finds himself with a poser at 15-30 after a lovely, deft backhand volley from Stef and a backhand error into the net have the Greek hope of an instant break back at 15-30.

Sinner was having none of it though and a whopping serve sandwiched between a pair of aces swept the Italian through to see him consolidate in style.

Jannik makes the first move on the return, following a beast of a forehand with great depth in an aggressive baseline exchange that forces a wild misfire from the Greek.

The Italian has a look at a crosscourt pass for triple break point but misses the line by a whisker.

Stef drags himself to 30-30 but then lashes a forehand into the middle of the net before a backhand attempt up the line clips the tape and bounces back on the Greek’s side of the net.

First blood to Sinner!

A first ace of the match and another big delivery conclude an impressive game to 15. Both players have started strongly here with little to bite on for the returner as of yet.