Alex de Minaur’s giant-killing run at the ATP Toronto Masters has come to a crashing end, thrashed in the final by Italian Jannik Sinner.
De Minaur enjoyed one of the best tournaments of his career, making his first Masters 1000 level final in Canada.
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Top 10 players Taylor Fritz and Daniil Medvedev were no match for the feisty Aussie in the quarters and semi-finals respectively as De Minaur roared through to the decider.
But hopes of his first tournament victory at this level were quashed by world No. 8 Sinner, who prevailed 6-4 6-1 in one hour and 30 minutes.
De Minaur had enormous trouble on serve, broken five times in the match as Sinner claimed the first Masters 1000 title of his career in emphatic style.
At 21 years of age, he is the youngest champion in Toronto since a 20-year-old Alexander Zverev took out the title back in 2017.
“It means a lot. It is a great result,” Sinner said afterwards.
“What I can share with all the people who are close to me every day, it is a nice moment to share with them and we are doing the right things.
“This result makes us feel good, stronger and hungry to work even harder in the future.”
De Minaur didn’t lose any admirers for his performance or his comments afterwards.
The 24-year-old had the crowd laughing with a reference to a short-lived doubles career with Sinner.
“I’d like to congratulate Jannik. You and your team deserve it,” he said.
“The way you carry yourself on court and off court, I’ve got tremendous respect for you.
“We started as doubles partners, it didn’t go so well, but we made it to the final.”
Players were evenly matched over the opening eight games, with De Minaur’s defensive game keeping him in the set at 4-4.
Once Sinner gained the decisive break in the ninth game, however, the flood gates opened. The Italian claimed eight of the next nine games to power to victory.
The New South Welshman has now lost consecutive finals, following defeat in Los Cabos last week.
But Australia’s top-ranked player at No. 18 has now moved up to tenth in the year-end ATP Live Race to Turn standings.
His ranking is also set to rocket up to No. 12 on the ATP Tour — the highest an Aussie has been since Nick Kyrgios in 2017.
“It was a breakthrough week for me,” De Minaur added. “I had a nice week here in Toronto.
“I played some great tennis and it gave me a taste of it. My maiden [Masters 1000] final and I will be back.”