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Sinner Beats Djokovic to Take Shanghai Masters Title, Sabalenka Reigns in Wuhan

Italy's Jannik Sinner (R) is greeted by Serbia's Novak Djokovic after Sinner won their men's singles final match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on October 13, 2024. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner (R) is greeted by Serbia's Novak Djokovic after Sinner won their men's singles final match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on October 13, 2024. (AFP)
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Sinner Beats Djokovic to Take Shanghai Masters Title, Sabalenka Reigns in Wuhan

Italy's Jannik Sinner (R) is greeted by Serbia's Novak Djokovic after Sinner won their men's singles final match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on October 13, 2024. (AFP)
Italy's Jannik Sinner (R) is greeted by Serbia's Novak Djokovic after Sinner won their men's singles final match at the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament in Shanghai on October 13, 2024. (AFP)

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets to win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, giving the Italian his tour-leading seventh title of the season.

The Italian bettered the 24-time Grand Slam champion 7-6 (4), 6-3 in an hour and 37 minutes and never faced a break point in the outdoor hard-court tournament. Sinner hit eight aces and 22 winners to four and 12, respectively, for Djokovic.

Djokovic was aiming for his 100th tour-level title and his fifth in Shanghai. Only Jimmy Connors with 109 titles and Roger Federer with 103 have hit the century mark in men’s tennis.

Sinner became the first man to win more than six titles in a season since Andy Murray won nine in 2016. He also pulled level in his career record against Djokovic, now at four wins apiece.

“It was a very tough match, obviously, playing against Novak is one of the toughest challenges we have,” Sinner said. “It’s tough to tell you a secret about (Djokovic) because he doesn’t have any weaknesses. You have to try and use the small chances that he gives you, but there are not many during the match. He is a legend of our sport, he’s very tough to play against, so I am very happy.”

The victory for Sinner came after he lost the final of the China Open in Beijing to Carlos Alcaraz and amid an ongoing doping case.

The 23-year-old Sinner is now 8-2 against top-5 opponents on hard courts this year, with both losses coming against Alcaraz, who watched Sunday’s final from the stands.

The 37-year-old Djokovic was playing in China for this first time in five years.

He also lost to Sinner in the Australian Open semifinals. His only title for the year so far was at the Paris Olympics, where he beat Alcaraz for the gold medal.

“I think I played some really good tennis, but congratulations to Jannik,” Djokovic said. “He was just too good today. Too strong, too fast, well done. You’re having an incredible year. You deserve this.”

Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka won the Wuhan Open for a third year in a row after beating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in the final.

It was a rematch of the Australian Open final, which Sabalenka won. She then added the USOpen title last month. She is now 4-0 against Zheng.

The Belarussian player took her record at the tournament to 17-0. She has won four tournaments this year.

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Beterbiev Beats Bivol in Riyadh to Become Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion

Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a points decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in the division for more than 20 years. (SPA)
Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a points decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in the division for more than 20 years. (SPA)
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Beterbiev Beats Bivol in Riyadh to Become Undisputed Light Heavyweight Champion

Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a points decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in the division for more than 20 years. (SPA)
Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a points decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in the division for more than 20 years. (SPA)

Artur Beterbiev beat Dmitry Bivol by a points decision to become the first undisputed light heavyweight champion in the division for more than 20 years.

The 39-year-old Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) had won all 20 of his previous fights by knockout but was forced the distance by his fellow Russian rival in Riyadh in the early hours of Sunday morning in a fight that had several swings of momentum and was almost too close to call.

"I feel not bad," Beterbiev said to DAZN after the fight. "I wanted to box with more quality. I’ll be better one day. It was a little bit uncomfortable."

"Of course, it was a tough fight because Dmitry is a tough champion and he has tough skills, better than me."

Throughout the bout there was never much between the two dominant fighters of the division as Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) used his speed to land early blows, while Beterbiev warmed to the task in the middle rounds before a late flurry in the final rounds appeared to clinch it.

"During the fight, we always try to change something," Beterbiev said. "I didn’t deliver more punches, I don’t know. Today I am lucky too."

In the end, two judges scored it 115-113, 116-112 for Beterbiev, with a third judge scoring it as a 114-114 draw.

"I am a warrior. I have no explanation because it looks like excuses. I am a warrior," Bivol told DAZN. "I don’t know, I did my job but I felt like I could do better but it was just the opinion of some judges.

"Congratulations to Artur. He is powerful, very powerful. I have a bruise from my hand, he hit it and it was so hard."

It was the first undisputed title fight in the division since 2002 and was the first time all four major world titles — WBO, WBA, IBF and WBC — have been up for grabs in the four-belt era.

They now all belong to Beterbiev.

He came into the bout with the WBC, WBO and IBF light heavyweight titles after defeating Callum Smith by knockout in January, needing just Bivol's WBA belt — which Bivol won with a shock upset points decision over Canelo Alvares in May 2022 — to complete the set.

Both Russians showed patience in the opening rounds before Bivol went to work with his left jab and right hook as his speed began to trouble Beterbiev.

The tide began to turn through the fifth and sixth rounds as Beterbiev began landing his right hook, forcing Bivol onto the defensive.

The bout spurred to life in the seventh as both fighters attacked. A big left by Bivol forced Beterbiev against the ropes, but Beterbiev responded with a heavy jab and short left hook as both fighters ended the round showing damage.

Beterbiev had only been beyond round seven five times in his 20 previous fights, but Bivol was going to make this go the distance here as he was again the more assertive through rounds eight and nine.

But Beterbiev came back again in the 10th with a strong round to leave the fight in the balance and continued the assault into the 11th as a right hook to Bivol’s body was followed by an uppercut in a rare clear round win.

The final round saw Beterbiev up the tempo even more as he sought to extend his incredible record of winning every bout inside the distance. Bivol held on to deny his compatriot a knockout blow but hadn’t done quite enough to clinch it.

Earlier, Australian WBC featherweight champion Skye Nicolson beat Britain’s Raven Chapman by a unanimous points decision in the first-ever women’s world title fight in Saudi Arabia.