Sinner and Fritz Triumph on ATP Finals Opening Day Amid Medvedev Frustration

World number one Jannik Sinner claimed a commanding win over Alex de Minaur, while Taylor Fritz overcame an agitated Daniil Medvedev in the first round of the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy.

Sinner, competing in front of a supportive home crowd, dispatched the seventh-seeded Australian 6-3, 6-4 to maintain his unbeaten record against De Minaur. This match marked Sinner's return to the court after a four-week break since his victory in Shanghai.

Earlier in the day, American Taylor Fritz recorded his 50th victory of the season by defeating Medvedev 6-4, 6-3. Fritz, who reached his first Grand Slam final at this year's US Open, expressed satisfaction with his performance, stating, "I'm super happy with how I played today."

Medvedev, seeded fourth, struggled with his serve, hitting seven double faults during the tense first set. Two consecutive double faults handed Fritz the set point, which Medvedev ultimately conceded with another error. Frustration spilled over as the Russian player smashed his racquet against his seat. His frustration continued in the second set, where he failed to capitalize on a break point by netting his backhand return.

Fritz, 27, secured the win after taking advantage of a mis-hit lob from Medvedev on his third break point. An irritated Medvedev later received a point penalty for damaging a courtside microphone with his racquet. Despite the Russian's disruptive behavior, Fritz stayed focused, saying, "It's very easy sometimes when someone's doing that to relax... I had to stay focused and play a good game, because he was going to fight."

Sinner's strong performance followed a slower start, with De Minaur breaking his serve early on. However, the Italian quickly regained control, leveling the score and breaking back. Sinner went on to win with two love holds and broke serve once more to clinch the first set.

In the second set, Sinner broke again in the fifth game, converting on his fourth break opportunity. He held his lead to secure victory with an eighth ace, extending his record over De Minaur to 8-0. Reflecting on his performance, Sinner said, "I just tried to stay there mentally knowing that at some point my tennis will arrive... I'm very pleased with the win and hopefully it can give me the confidence for the next one."

The action continues Monday in the John Newcombe Group, with Spain's Carlos Alcaraz set to face Norway's Casper Ruud, while German Alexander Zverev plays Russian Andrey Rublev in the evening match.

In the doubles tournament, Britain's Henry Patten and Finnish partner Harri Heliovaara won their opening match, defeating second-seeded pair Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 7-6 (7-2), 6-4.