Novak Djokovic denied 100th title as Jannik Sinner wins Shanghai Masters final - result and live reaction
The World No 1 won his seventh tournament of the year to deny Djokovic his place in the century club with a 7-6 6-3 victory in China
Jannik Sinner denied Novak Djokovic the 100th title of his career with victory in the Shanghai Masters final as the World No 1 claimed his third win in a row against the 24-time grand slam champion.
Djokovic, 37, was bidding to become just the third man in the Open era to reach a century of titles after Jimmy Connors and Roger Federer, who was sat in the crowd next to Carlos Alcaraz.
But Sinner, 23, continued his dominant run of form on the hard courts by winning his third ATP 1000 tournament of the year, edging a close final 7-6 (4) 6-3 in one hour and 36 minutes.
The first set was dominated by serve but the Australian Open and US Open champion elevated his game to win the tiebreak, as Djokovic coughed up a key error at the net to hand Sinner set points.
And the Italian pressed his advantage into the second as he broke Djokovic for the first time in the match with a stunning forehand winner.
Sinner remained solid on serve, not facing a single break point all match, as he closed out his seventh title of the year to deny Djokovic a slice of tennis history.
Follow the reaction from the Shanghai Masters final in our live blog, below.
Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner head-to-head
2024: Australian Open, semi-final, outdoor hard - Sinner wins in four sets
2023: Davis Cup Finals, semi-final, indoor hard - Sinner wins in three sets
2023: ATP Finals, final, indoor hard - Djokovic wins in two sets
2023: ATP Finals, round robin - Sinner wins in three sets
2023: Wimbledon, semi-final, grass - Djokovic wins in three sets
2022: Wimbledon, quarter-final, grass - Djokovic wins in five sets
2021: Monte Carlo, round of 32, clay, Djokovic wins in two sets
Jannik Sinner on achieving historic year-end No 1
Yesterday, Jannik Sinner became the first Italian to achieve the world-end No 1 ranking after reaching the Shanghai Open final. The 23-year-old is bidding to win his seventh tourament of the year, to add to his grand slams at the US Open and Australian Open.
“It’s amazing. It’s something you dream of when you are a kid, when you are young, just to reach the No. 1. Now having the year-end, it’s also a different and special feeling,” Sinner said after his victory over Tomas Machac in the semi-finals.
“It means so much to me, obviously. This is something I could not accomplish without all the people I have around - the family and friends and also a big credit to my team.”
Novak Djokovic requires ‘highest level’ to beat Jannik Sinner
Novak Djokovic says he won’t be the favourite against Jannik Sinner and he is expecting a physical battle with the World No 1, who ended his run of 33 wins in a row at the Australian Open earlier this year.
“I won’t be a favourite on the court, but hopefully I’ll be able to come out physically fresh enough, you know, to challenge him for what may be the long match.
“I have to expect probably the toughest encounter of the tournament ... He knows my game, I know his game. We haven’t played since Australia this year. I’m hoping for the best, it’s going to take my highest level to win.”
Novak Djokovic on the ‘fight’ for a 100th title
Novak Djokovic reached the Shanghai Masters final with victory over Taylor Fritz on Saturday and is one win from joining the 100-club.
“I came to Shanghai after five years of not playing in China, the place where I’ve always had great success, both in Shanghai and Beijing,” he said.
“That creates an energy that keeps me going, keeps me running, so I did come here definitely with a vision and a desire to get to the final and fight for a 100th title.
“I get that chance against the best player in the world, and let’s see what happens.”
When is Novak Djokovic vs Jannik Sinner?
The Shanghai Masters final will be played from 09:30am on Sunday 13 October.
How can I watch the Shanghai Masters?
Sky Sports has the rights for the Shanghai Masters and will be showing Djokovic vs Sinner on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Tennis.
If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includesdeals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Good morning
Welcome along to live coverage of the Shanghai Masters final, in what could be an epic between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. There’s history on the line, and the latest chance to see Djokovic battle with one his two young rivals at the age of 37.
We’ll bring you all the build up until we get going just after 9:30am.
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