Jannik Sinner takes down Alex de Minaur, Jessica Pegula dominates to claim Canadian Open titles
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Updated 14/08/2023 at 08:43 GMT
Jannik Sinner can add an ATP Masters 1000 title to his growing CV thanks to a straight-sets win over Alex de Minaur at the Canadian Open. The Italian came up short on a couple of previous final appearances, but in Toronto on Sunday he was too good for his Australian opponent. Sinner wrapped up the victory in 90 minutes, securing a 6-4 6-1 success.
Highlights: Sinner wins first ATP Masters 1000 title in Toronto
Jannik Sinner claimed a first ATP Masters 1000 title when proving too good for Alex de Minaur, while an unstoppable Jessica Pegula lost just one game in the two Canadian Open finals on Sunday.
Sinner had come up short in two previous Masters finals, but in Toronto he proved much too strong for his Australian opponent.
Both players looked nervous, and their play was not as good as earlier in the week, but it was Sinner who coped the better to claim a 6-4 6-1 win.
“It feels so good,” Sinner said. “It is a great result, one I can share with all the people who are close to me.
“We are doing the right things and working very hard.
“It makes me feel good and stronger, and also hungry to work even harder."
De Minaur began the match with a chip and charge to the net, which proved successful.
Against a man he had lost all four previous meetings to, it appeared the Australian felt changing things up was a policy worth pursuing.
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'We're doing the right things' - Sinner on winning first Masters title in Toronto
Sinner absorbed the early threats, held serve and then broke his opponent at the first time of asking - with the snap of the Italian’s groundstrokes causing problems for De Minaur.
De Minaur got back on serve immediately. A precision backhand that painted the line crafted the chance - and he got back on serve when Sinner surprisingly sent a rallying forehand over the baseline.
Sinner pressed hard in the sixth game, but it was craft rather than brute force that secured a second break of serve - as he found a superb forehand lob to leave De Minaur swinging at fresh air.
De Minaur refused to bend, and took advantage of some slack play from Sinner to get the set back on serve in the seventh game.
Sinner’s groundstrokes had more snap towards the end of the first set, forcing De Minaur behind the baseline.
He worked three set points in the 10th game, and a punishing backhand secured the break to love to put Sinner one set away from a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title.
De Minaur came under constant pressure on serve, and he was broken for the fourth time in the match when sending a backhand tamely into the net in the fourth game of the second set.
The belief drained from De Minuar, who was broken again as Sinner raced to the finishing line in 90 minutes.
"I felt the pressure, I am not going to lie about that," Sinner, who will rise to No. 6 in the world on Monday, said. "But I think I handled it very well."
In Montreal, Jessica Pegula breezed to a 6-1 6-0 win over Liudmila Samsonova to lift the Canadian Open with the utmost ease.
It was tough on Samsonova, who had to play a three-set semi-final earlier in the day.
After beating Elena Rybakina earlier in the day, Samsonova had nothing in the tank as Pegula claimed the title for the loss of one game in 49 minutes.
"We're out on tour to win tournaments and to win titles every single week, but tennis can be really tough where you sometimes lose a lot," Pegula said.
"Even when you're winning a lot of matches, you're still not winning tournaments, so it can get tough.
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Jessica Pegula
Image credit: Getty Images
"Winning a week like this week makes it all worth it and makes you want to keep going for more. I'll be right back at it tomorrow in Cincinnati.
"Beating Coco and beating Iga were two really tough wins back-to-back, and being able to do that and then just come out today and play a really clean match was kind of great.
"I felt like I didn't have a ton of pressure at any point or I wasn't worried too much today."
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