Sinner Brushes Past Zverev to Reach Monte Carlo Final

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
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Sinner Brushes Past Zverev to Reach Monte Carlo Final

Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)
Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts during his semi final match against Alexander Zverev of Germany at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, 11 April 2026. (EPA)

World No.2 Jannik Sinner eased his way into the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time with a clinical 6-1, 6-4 semi-final win over Alexander Zverev on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Italian becomes the first player to reach all three finals of the season's first three Masters 1000 events since Novak Djokovic in 2015.

Roger Federer, in 2006, and Rafael Nadal, 2011, are the only two other players to achieve the feat.

"I'm very happy," said Sinner.

"We came here trying to give myself some feedback [on clay] and now finding myself in the final means a lot to me."

Sinner said he had felt in top form right from the outset of the match against his German opponent, ranked third in the world.

"Obviously every match, every day is different, so I'm very happy about today's performance. I felt really solid from the beginning.

"When you are a break up straight away, it changes the dynamic of the match, so very happy and let's see what's coming in the final."

Sinner will face either world No.1 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or local boy Valentin Vacherot, ranked 23 in the world, who meet later on Saturday.

If it is Alcaraz, it will be the first meeting this season between the world's top two players which would decide who will be world No.1 come Monday when the new ATP rankings are released.

As in Indian Wells and Miami, Sinner, 24, had the measure of Zverev who has not prevailed in their meetings since the round of 16 at the US Open in September 2023.

Extremely aggressive from the start, Sinner blew the German away in the opening set, breaking him three times and wrapping it up in 34 minutes.

In the second set, the German put up more resistance, finding his first serve again, but he still had to battle every time to hold.

He finally folded after 1hr 22min on another blistering forehand from Sinner, who has lost only one set in his last 21 matches at Masters 1000 events.



Russian Teen Andreeva Breezes Into China Open Final

Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, returns a ball to Nikola Bartunkova, of the Czech Republic during the semifinals of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, returns a ball to Nikola Bartunkova, of the Czech Republic during the semifinals of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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Russian Teen Andreeva Breezes Into China Open Final

Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, returns a ball to Nikola Bartunkova, of the Czech Republic during the semifinals of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Mirra Andreeva, of Russia, returns a ball to Nikola Bartunkova, of the Czech Republic during the semifinals of the women's singles match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Mirra Andreeva breezed into the China Open final on Saturday, brushing aside Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 6-2, and will play either home hope Zheng Qinwen or Belgium's Elise Mertens for the title.

"I wanted to play aggressive today," said the 19-year-old Russian, ranked five in the world.

Andreeva raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set in Beijing as 34th-ranked Bartunkova double-faulted twice before giving away the fourth game, AFP reported.

The 20-year-old Czech made 20 unforced errors across the 74-minute match and was outplayed by the French Open champion, who sent down 27 winners.

Bartunkova saved the first match point but Andreeva triumphed on the second without much more fuss.

"She's a very tricky opponent to play against... she sometimes manages to hit rockets out of nowhere," Andreeva said.

"I tried to be brave no matter what," she said, adding that she calmed some nerves by playing the card game Uno with her coach before the semi-final.

At four Andreeva is the highest-seeded player left in the tournament after a run of upsets saw the departures of Elena Rybakina, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff.


Medvedev Advances at Shanghai in his 1st Match Since his China Open Disqualification

Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Shanghai Masters - Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China - October 10, 2026 Russia's Daniil Medvedev reacts during his round of 64 match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff REUTERS/Go Nakamura
Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Shanghai Masters - Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China - October 10, 2026 Russia's Daniil Medvedev reacts during his round of 64 match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff REUTERS/Go Nakamura
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Medvedev Advances at Shanghai in his 1st Match Since his China Open Disqualification

Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Shanghai Masters - Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China - October 10, 2026 Russia's Daniil Medvedev reacts during his round of 64 match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff REUTERS/Go Nakamura
Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Shanghai Masters - Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China - October 10, 2026 Russia's Daniil Medvedev reacts during his round of 64 match against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff REUTERS/Go Nakamura

Daniil Medvedev has won his first match since being disqualified at the China Open for hitting a spectator in the eye with a ball he hit into the stands.

Medvedev beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a second-round match on Saturday at the Shanghai Masters, an ATP 1000 tennis event, The Associated Press reported.

Medvedev, who now holds a 10-2 career edge over Struff, was disqualified during his semifinal loss Monday to Novak Djokovic for hitting the spectator with a ball the Russian player had hit into the stands.

Medvedev, who apologized after the incident in Beijing, saying it was an accident, lost the $285,000 prize money he would have received for making the semifinals in Beijing.

It was the fifth-seeded Medvedev's first match since the disqualification. In the 96-player Shanghai field, the top 32 seeds receive first-round byes.

In other early second-round matches Saturday, Camilo Ugo Carabelli was playing fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, who won last week's Japan Open, was scheduled to play Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a night match in Shanghai.

No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from Shanghai this week when he announced he was taking the rest of 2026 off due to a right knee injury.


Trackhouse's Fernandez Takes First Pole at Indonesian GP

Trackhouse MotoGP Team MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez of Spain in action during the MotoGP qualifying at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika Circuit in Mandalika, Indonesia, 10 October 2026.  EPA/MAST IRHAM
Trackhouse MotoGP Team MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez of Spain in action during the MotoGP qualifying at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika Circuit in Mandalika, Indonesia, 10 October 2026. EPA/MAST IRHAM
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Trackhouse's Fernandez Takes First Pole at Indonesian GP

Trackhouse MotoGP Team MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez of Spain in action during the MotoGP qualifying at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika Circuit in Mandalika, Indonesia, 10 October 2026.  EPA/MAST IRHAM
Trackhouse MotoGP Team MotoGP rider Raul Fernandez of Spain in action during the MotoGP qualifying at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of Indonesia at Mandalika Circuit in Mandalika, Indonesia, 10 October 2026. EPA/MAST IRHAM

Trackhouse rider Raul Fernandez grabbed a career-first pole at the Indonesian Grand Prix on Saturday, with title contenders Jorge Martin and Marc Marquez set to start on the second row.

Fernandez, who won the British MotoGP in August, finished quickest with a lap of one minute 28.852 seconds -- 0.109 quicker than Aprilia's Marco Bezzecchi.

"Too many times, I was very close to taking pole (in the past)," said Fernandez, who also set a lap record during practice on Friday.

"Yesterday, I started to feel super comfortable with the bike. This morning, to be honest, I didn't really ⁠feel like that.

"I ⁠just tried to be calm, tried to not be nervous. Now we have a very good opportunity, let's try to enjoy and let's try to fight for the victory,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

VR46 Racing's Fabio Di Giannantonio completed the front row with a strong display on his birthday.

Bezzecchi was content with second place despite ⁠having to abandon what looked set to be a pole-winning lap when yellow flags were waved following a Fermin Aldeguer crash.

"I'm very happy. It was a good job this morning in practice, but also in the qualifying, I was confident on the bike," the Italian said.

"Unfortunately, I met a yellow flag in the second stint, but I'm very, very happy, satisfied. It's a very good first row for this afternoon, but also for tomorrow."

Defending champion Marquez of Ducati was fourth-quickest, just ⁠ahead of ⁠title rival and championship leader Martin of Aprilia.

With six rounds remaining in the season, including the Indonesian MotoGP, the outcome of the championship is hanging on a knife-edge as Martin sits on 333 points - just two above Marquez.

Marquez will fancy his chances of closing that gap this weekend, but the weight of history is against him, with the Spaniard having a disastrous record at the Mandalika circuit, where he has never completed a full MotoGP race.

Last year, he suffered a season-ending collarbone injury in the race after a crunching collision with Bezzecchi on the opening lap.