World No 1 Jannik Sinner made it two wins in a row at the ATP Finals with a 6-4 6-4 success against Taylor Fritz in a rematch of the US Open final.
Fritz put the world No 1 through his paces in the early stages of a fabulous contest at the Inalpi Arena in Turin.
The 23-year-old, however, raised his game when required to register a big win to improve to 23-1 in his last five tournaments.
Fritz went toe-to-toe with Sinner throughout a contest ultimately decided by slender margins with one break of serve in each set.
Sinner made the decisive break in the opening set when Fritz served at 4-5, bringing up a set point with a disguised drop shot and then converting at the first opportunity.
Fritz refused to go away in the second set but cracked under pressure as he served to stay in the match.
“It was a very tough match, we got to know each other very well in a Grand Slam final,” said Sinner. “We knew exactly what to expect today, he was very aggressive and I was prepared.
“I just tried to serve very well in the important moments, which I did. That was a very crucial game in the second set, I was down 0-30. If he breaks me there, the momentum could change.”
Sinner will seek to extend his perfect 2-0 record in the Ilie Nastase Group when he takes on fourth seed Daniil Medvedev on Thursday.
Fritz, who is 1-1, aims to secure a crucial win against Alex de Minaur in his bid to advance to the semi-finals.
