PARIS – Jannik Sinner defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 6-3 on Friday to reach the Paris Masters semifinals for the first time and move closer to reclaiming the top spot in the world rankings.
Sinner’s seven consecutive victories over American competitors extend his indoor winning streak to 24 through November 2023.
If Sinner wins the Paris title, his first Masters trophy of the year, he will be back at No. 1 on Monday.
He will next face defending champion Alexander Zverev, who saved two match points and defeated Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Félix Auger-Aliassime ended wild card Valentin Bachelot’s run in Paris in the quarter-finals 6-2, 6-2.
Bachelot had won his previous 10 Masters matches, including his first title in Shanghai this month, but Auger-Aliassime, who reached his fourth Masters semi-final, proved too good for the Monaco player.
Auger-Aliassime has reached 10 tour-level semi-finals this season, winning titles in Adelaide, Montpellier and Brussels.
The Canadian will next face Alexander Bublik after the Kazakhstani defeated sixth seed Alex de Minaur without dropping serve 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5.
Bublik has won 30 of 37 matches since the French Open, winning four titles and becoming the first Kazakh to reach the semifinals of the Masters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
