Sinner beats Fils to reach Madrid Open final
Eight-time Masters 1,000 winner Jannik Sinner broke Arthur Fils three times to deny the Frenchman a place in his first final at this level World number one Jannik Sinner remains on course for a record fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 title after reaching the Madrid Open final with a straight-set win over Arthur Fils. The Italian won his 22nd successive match to reach Sunday's final, where he will face either second seed Alexander Zverev or unseeded Belgian Alexander Blockx. Sinner, 24, has won the opening three ATP 1,000 events of the season - in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo - and also triumphed in Paris late last year.
If he wins in Madrid Sinner would surpass Novak Djokovic, who won four consecutive Masters 1,000 titles on three occasions, and Rafael Nadal, who claimed four straight events in 2013. Sinner has also become the fourth player - and the youngest - to reach all nine Masters 1,000 finals, joining Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer. The Italian becomes the third man to reach the final of the first four Masters 1,000 events of the season, after Federer (2006) and Nadal (2011), while his victory means he is the first player born in the 2000s to record 350 tour-level wins.
The four-time Grand Slam winner broke twice to take the first set 6-2 against 21st seed Fils, who won the clay-court Barcelona Open two weeks ago. Fils, 21, was 3-2 up in the second set having saved two break points, but Sinner finally broke to move 5-4 ahead and served out the match to progress 6-2 6-4. Zverev and Blockx play their semi-final later on Friday.