But de Minaur’s ambition to achieve his first win over the Italian will have to wait until their 13th meeting at least, as Sinner downed the Australian 6-3, 6-4 in 90 minutes.<\/p>\n
The Sydneysider did become the first player to break Sinner’s serve in the tournament, doing so twice, but it mattered little.<\/p>\n
In the first set, he was already 4-0 down having won just four points when he broke. In the second set, he was already a break down, and Sinner immediately broke back.<\/p>\n
De Minaur did have plans to change his losing streak, as Sinner recognised.<\/p>\n
“He changed a couple of things, which I was ready for today,” Sinner said.<\/p>\n
“I don’t want to say [what]. He knows. He knows what to do, how to put [me] under pressure and the moment when you don’t serve very well, you have to play every ball and every point.<\/p>\n
“He can get very physical, he changed up with the slice a bit, also the slice down the line today and opening the court. Many small things he has changed.”<\/p>\n
But none of them stopped Sinner reaching his eighth consecutive final on the ATP Tour, the first player to do that since Novak Djokovic a decade ago.<\/p>\n
“I came here quite late to the tournament, tried to take every day in the best possible way and I’m happy to be here in the final. It was not easy to reach the final here, so I’m very happy,” Sinner said.<\/p>\n
“[I was] trying to play some good tennis, trying to serve very well. The first set was very physical, so I’m happy that I won in two sets today.”<\/p>\n