TURIN, Italy (AP) — Taylor Fritz frustrated Daniil Medvedev in the opening match of the ATP Finals on Sunday, leading the Russian to smash his racket in a 6-4, 6-3 loss. Medvedev’s temper flared, resulting in two code violations and a point deduction.
“I get angry, frustrated. This time completely with myself, not with anyone. Just with myself,” Medvedev admitted after the match.
Later, Italy’s own Jannik Sinner thrilled his home crowd with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over debutant Alex de Minaur.
The other group of players begins their matches on Monday, with Carlos Alcaraz facing Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev meeting Andrey Rublev. The top two players from each round-robin group will advance to the semifinals.
The first set between Fritz and Medvedev was tightly contested until Medvedev’s errors in the final game handed the set to Fritz, who capitalized on three double faults from his opponent. Medvedev responded with a fit of rage, slamming his racket against the bench, denting it before twisting it into a wreck on the court.
“I struggle every day on the court,” Medvedev said, reflecting on his ongoing frustration. “I feel zero pleasure being out there right now.”
The second set saw Medvedev further unravel as he was broken and then penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct. His antics included holding his racket backward while preparing to return serve, which drew whistles from the crowd.
Fritz remained unaffected by Medvedev’s behavior, laughing off the situation. “I think he’s really funny,” he said, adding that Medvedev often cracks him up even when they’re not playing each other.
Fritz won several long rallies, including a 26-shot exchange and another lasting 30 shots, which he credited as key moments. “I thought I did a solid job showing him I wasn’t going to give him free points,” Fritz said.
Medvedev expressed his frustration afterward, saying, “Literally everyone can stay in the rally with me right now.”
Fritz, who reached the U.S. Open final in September before losing to Sinner, is competing in his second ATP Finals appearance. Two years ago, he defeated Rafael Nadal before falling to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Later in the day, Jannik Sinner entertained his fans, many of whom wore orange or carrot-themed outfits in homage to the Italian’s iconic hair color. Sinner, who had lost to Djokovic in last year’s final, started confidently with an ace on his opening point. Although he was broken early in the second set, he recovered to win four consecutive games, leading the crowd to chant “Ole, Ole, Ole, Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
Sinner’s victory over De Minaur marked his eighth career win against the Australian. De Minaur praised the Italian’s play: “His ball speed is so much higher than basically the rest of the people. It’s very hard to find holes in his game.”
This marks the first time Sinner has played at home since a doping controversy earlier this year. Although he was cleared of any wrongdoing after testing positive in two separate drug tests, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the decision. A final ruling is expected early next year.
