Jannik Sinner defeats Alexander Bublik to reach Erste Bank Open semi-finals in Vienna as Elena Rybakina qualifies for WTA Finals
Jannik Sinner wins tight battle in Vienna to beat Alexander Bublik in straight sets; Sinner's victory puts him into a semi-final against Alex de Minaur in the Erste Bank Open; Elena Rybakina secured the last remaining place at the WTA Finals after beating Victoria Mboko at the Pan Pacific
Friday 24 October 2025 23:08, UK
Jannik Sinner reached the semi-finals of the Erste Bank Open with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Alexander Bublik.
A tight battle in Vienna saw Sinner break Bublik's serve in the seventh game of the opening set and the Italian comfortably served out that set.
Bublik continued to pose problems for the world No 2 in the following set, but Sinner managed to break in the fifth game and served up three aces in the final game as he closed out the win.
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Sinner will face Alex de Minaur in the final four after the Australian beat Matteo Berrettini 6-1 7-6 in their quarter-final meeting.
"It is a tough, a tough match-up. I am very happy," Sinner said. "I tried to return as many balls as possible, I felt he was serving great today. I am happy I had some chances.
"Early in the first set I had some but I could not use them but I am happy I was able to stay there mentally. He is a very dangerous player but I tried to stay as solid as possible, so I am very happy."
Two-time ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev booked his place in the season-ending championship after progressing to the semi-finals, marking his eighth qualification in the past nine seasons.
Zverev secured his spot for the Turin event after Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor withdrew from their quarter-final clash in Vienna, where the German world No 3 is seeded second.
Zverev, who finished as runner-up at the Australian Open in January, joins Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic as the first four players to qualify for the event, which runs from November 9-16. Four spots are up for grabs.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed success at the ATP Finals, lifting the trophy in 2018 and 2021. He also reached the semis in 2019 and 2024. His only absence from the tournament since 2017 came in 2022, when a serious ankle injury sidelined him for much of the season.
Rybakina bags last WTA Finals place
Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina has secured the last remaining place at the WTA Finals after beating Victoria Mboko to make it through to the semi-finals of the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Kazakhstan's Rybakina, who won last week's Ningbo Open in China, saw off Canadian 19-year-old Mboko 6-3 7-6 (7-4) on Friday and goes on to play Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic.
Rybakina's run of form sees her move ahead of Mirra Andreeva to take the eighth spot for next month's WTA Finals, which will be held in Saudi Arabia.
"It's great to qualify and play some more matches, especially against top players," Rybakina said.
"Last week I was focusing one match at a time and I knew that to qualify it's going to take a long road. In the end everything worked out pretty well."
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