Editor’s note: This story was updated after Thursday’s play in Toronto.
With Stefanos Tsitsipas and Andrey Rublev losing early at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers, several players have an opportunity to make a move in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.
Jannik Sinner is in prime position to surge as he pursues qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals, to be held in Turin from 12-19 November.
Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin (entering Toronto QF)
Player
Points
1) Carlos Alcaraz
6,855
2) Novak Djokovic
5,945
3) Daniil Medvedev
5,300
4) Stefanos Tsitsipas
3,435
5) Jannik Sinner
3,355
6) Andrey Rublev
3,270
7) Holger Rune
3,035
8) Casper Ruud
2,595
9) Taylor Fritz
2,470
10) Alexander Zverev
2,310
After Sinner received a walkover against former World No. 1 Andy Murray in the Toronto third round, he ascended to fifth in the Live Race. Another win would see him move into fourth.
“Of course you watch these kinds of things. This is why you also practise for,” Sinner said. “But in the other way, we have practised so, so much in the last couple of weeks. Happy to be here, happy to compete again and against the best players in the world and I will play point after point and then we’ll see in the end of the year what’s coming.”
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Two years ago, Sinner replaced Matteo Berrettini as an alternate mid-tournament at the Pala Alpitour in Turin. This season, he is trying to qualify directly into the field for the first time.
That is a feat American Taylor Fritz achieved last year. The 25-year-old has improved his standing in recent weeks by winning the Atlanta Open and making the semi-finals of the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington.
Fritz is currently in ninth place, 125 points behind Casper Ruud for the final qualifying spot. His Thursday defeat to Alex de Minaur denied him a chance to gain ground on the Norwegian.
A second ATP Masters 1000 title could have propelled him as high as fifth in the Live Race. How much is the American following the battle?
“A good amount. I think before Atlanta and like D.C. I wasn’t really looking at it because I knew I was a good amount back, so I was like, ‘There’s no point in me looking at it until I have a good result or make it close’,” Fritz said. “And after Atlanta and D.C., I think Casper and I are pretty much even for the eighth spot. So it is what it is, I just have to have good results for the rest of the year and I think that I’ll have a good chance.
“It’s really going to take one big result in my opinion because 100 points, 200 points here I don’t think is going to mean that much when you have so many guys where you just win finals, win a Masters or semi-final a Slam, that’s just going to jump you in front of everybody else. So it’s really just about having a big result.”
Carlos Alcaraz became the first player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals when he defeated Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.