Defending champion Jannik Sinner beat Filip Krajinovic 6-3 7-5 in their first head-to-head match after 1 hour and 43 minutes at the Sofia Open to reach the Sofia Open final for the second consecutive year. Sinner won 86 % of his first serve points.
The Italian Next Gen star has not dropped a set yet this week. He set up a final against world number 20 Gael Monfils, who beat Marcos Giron 7-5 6-0. Sinner leads 2-1 in his previous three head-to-head matches and beat the Frenchman in Antwerp round of 16 in 2019 and in the US Open Round of 32 in 2021 in five sets.
Sinner went up a break to take a 4-1 lead in the first set. Krajinovic broke back in the seventh game for 3-4. Sinner moved ahead 5-3 in the eighth game with a break, when Krajinovic hit a backhand into the net.
Krajinovic saved three break points in the third game of the second set after six deuces before breaking serve in the sixth game to take a 5-2 lead. Sinner came back by winning five consecutive games, including two breaks in the ninth and eleventh games, to close out the second set 7-5.
Krajinovic was aiming to win his first title this year after reaching the final in Hamburg last July.
Sinner won two titles in 2021 in Melbourne and Washington and finished runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz in the Miami Masters 1000 final.
“It was a very tough match against him. We practise at times together, so we know each other’s games a little bit. There was a chance to go to a tie-break, which I luckily avoided. I am happy to be in the final here again”, said Sinner.
