Jannik Sinner got his title defence on home soil at the ATP Finals off to a solid start with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Félix Auger-Aliassime, who struggled with a calf injury.As the Italian clinched a tight first set with a break in the 14th game, Auger-Aliassime suffered a problem with his left calf and was twice treated by a trainer during the second set.It remains to be seen whether the Canadian, whose place in Turin was only confirmed on Sunday, will be fit to play his remaining two group games.“It was very tough until 6-5 and then he had a physical issue,” said Sinner, who won the title here last year without dropping a set.“It’s a special tournament and place for me,” he added as fans chanted his name during the post-match interview.

On his opponent’s injury, Sinner said: “I hope it’s not too serious and wish him a speedy recovery and he gets back to 100% physically.You don’t want to win like this but if there’s a chance you have to use it.It’s not nice, Félix has had some tough injuries so we wish him the best.” To claim the year-end No 1 ranking.Sinner needs to win the ATP Finals and hope that his great rival, Carlos Alcaraz, does not reach the final.

Sinner and Alexander Zverev lead the Bjorn Borg Group with a win each after Zverev beat Ben Shelton on Sunday.Earlier on Monday, Taylor Fritz beat late entry Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4 in the Jimmy Connors Group.Unlike Musetti, who was making his debut, Fritz has pedigree in the tournament after reaching the final last year and the semifinals on his debut in 2022.“A very important one to win, I would say, if I want to make it out of the group,” Fritz said.“He plays quite different with the slices and everything.

So it took me some time to get used to it.I was able to avoid getting broken early … then I feel like I kind of got into the match more.I thought I played really well.”Musetti would have qualified at Auger-Aliassime’s expense with a win over Novak Djokovic in the Athens final on Sunday – but despite losing, he earned a place as Djokovic withdrew from the ATP Finals with a shoulder injury.“I couldn’t be at 100% in shape, especially physically,” said Musetti, who arrived in his home town on Sunday evening.

“Mentally, I’m really glad that I’m here.I’m super proud of myself, of my team, of what we achieved.Today, I tried to fight with what I had.”Fritz and Alcaraz lead the group with one win each, while Alex de Minaur and Musetti are yet to get on the board.On Tuesday, Fritz plays Alcaraz in the afternoon match before Musetti faces De Minaur in a likely eliminator.

Associated Press/PA MediaIn the doubles event, Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski won their opening match against Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic by a score of 6-3, 7-5,Another British player, Henry Patten, also enjoyed victory alongside Finland’s Harri Heliövaara,The pair beat US duo Christian Harrison and Evan King 6-4, 6-4,Monday’s results mean that Salisbury and Skupski, the fifth seeds, lead the John McEnroe Group alongside second seeds Heliövaara and Patten,The top seeds, Britain’s Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, lost their opener in the Peter Fleming Group against Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-5, 6-3 on Sunday.

Guardian sportOtherwise, though, thanks for your company; we’ll see you tomorrow for more,But until then, peace,Once the initial misery has abated, there are positives for Felix to take from tonight,Playing what was effectively an away match, against an all-time great, he properly turned up, looking to attack whenever he could and suggesting he might finally make good on the otherworldly talent he showed as a teenager,If he can produce that level regularly, he still has time to challenge the elite of the elite.

Sinner says it was a tough match until the 6-5.He had some chances to break but Felix served very well and played very aggressive tennis.Winning the first match is very important in this tournament and he’s very happy.He hopes Felix isn’t too badly injured but, killer that he is, he says it’s an advantage and you have to use it in the right way, though no one wants to win like this.He knows his opponent has had some bad injuries and he only wants the best for him.

Sinner tops Bjorn Borg Group, having lost fewer games than Alexander Zverev, who beat Ben Shelton in two,The former played well last evening and was seriously fired up when he won; maybe he feels he’s on the way back after a really poor season,Auger-Aliassime didn’t look like someone who’d be ready to play again on Wednesday,The injury can’t be too serious, you wouldn’t think, or else he’d not have continued; I imagine he’ll call it a season after this and get ready for next,*Sinner 7-5 6-1 Auger-Aliassime Sinner makes 15-0 but a backhand error follows before Auger-Aliassime stretches out wide to redirect a serve low over the net, and the response hits it.

Of course Sinner then nails an ace down the T for 30-all, a response wafted long hands over match point, and this is such a shame,An ace finishes what could’ve been an absolute banger; well done Felix for playing so well in the first set, then sticknig with it through the second,Sinner 7-5 5-1 Auger-Aliassime* Auger-Aliassime gets a massage at change of ends and, at time, Sinner jumps about, suggesting ill intent,But he soon misses a lob … only for a limping Felix to net a forehand, then overhit another,A further cruel drop makes 15-40, and though an ace down the T saves one break point, a tame volley goes into the net and Sinner will now serve for the match.

*Sinner 7-5 4-1 Auger-Aliassime All Sinner has to do is keep concentrating and he can’t really lose, though Auger-Aliassime has won more points on his serve since getting hurt than he did before.This latest hold, to 15, ends in savage manner, the Italian laying a drop that forces the injured man to sprint fruitlessly to the net.Sinner 7-5 3-1 Auger-Aliassime* This isn’t the cruelest injury we’ve seen this year – Griggzy Dimitrov doing his pec when leading Sinner by two sets to love at Wimbledon was properly heartbreaking.But it is a shame, and we see him unable to properly leap into a forehand, giving Sinner 30-all; when he overhits another, he swats the ball away, suffering.He does, though, make deuce, only to go long on the backhand; the Italian nets on return to cede advantage, and from there, Auger-Aliassime serves it out.

That’s a really brave effort, and I hope it’s not aggravating his situation.Off we go again; fair play to Felix, he’s doing his best to give the crowd a game.Auger-Aliassime takes a medical timeout and has his calf massaged.He looks extremely unhappy and must be thinking about turning it in; a less significant tournament and he might’ve done already.And even if he sticks in the match till the end, will be ready to play again on Wednesday? The first alternate is Sascha Bublik, who’s actually beaten Sinner this year; he might be stretching off, wherever he is.

*Sinner 7-5 3-0 Auger-Aliassime I say all that, but Sinner, perhaps losing focus, dispenses a double of his own to donate 0-30; surely not.Yeah, not: a morose Auger-Aliassime can’t properly plant feet and apply power, wafting a backhand long, two big first serves make 40-30, and there’s a yowl of pain when he’s sent chasing a backhand.Somehow, though, he wins the point for deuce,the first time in the match he’s got that close to breaking, only to wince again skewing a backhand wide and plenty, before another, looped over the baseline, seals Sinner’s consolidation.Sinner 7-5 2-0 Auger-Aliassime* Auger-Aliassime is taking time between points now and he looks seriously disappointed.He’s lost his zip but he’s also lost his belief, I think and, caught at net, he’s easily passed for 15-30, then sends down a double, pace on the serve well down.

If he’s broken here, that might be it – especially as he’d have a day to recover before his second match but, in the meantime, he swipes a forehand well wide, and I’m afraid this contest, so absorbing in set one, is over at the start of two.Auger-Aliassime asks the umpire to summon the physio for the end of the next game, but it’s hard to see what can be done in the immediate term.*Sinner 7-5 1-0 Auger-Aliassime It’s hard enough facing Sinner fully fit, never mind with an injury, and I fear Felix will struggle to recapture his first-set form.He looks in discomfort ceding a point for 40-0 and, though he does makes 40-15, a backhand return sliced into the foot of the net bespeaks a man who thinks his chance has gone.I’d not be surprised if he calls it, but will probably want a go at serving first.

Back he comes, and he’s going to continue; let’s hope it was a twinge that can be run off.Auger-Aliassime leaves the court and we see footage of him rubbing his left calf.Hopefully he can get himself sorted, but he’ll be suffering irregardless: he played almost as well as he possibly can , still made no impression on the Sinner serve, and lost his own at the crucial moment.Sinner 7-5 Auger-Aliassime* A service-winner out wide takes Auger-Aliassime to within three points of a breaker, and an ace follows, his eighth of the set with most of them, like this one, down the T.But an overhit backhand soon takes us to 30-all and a netted forehand donates set point; this escalated quickly.

Sinner, though, surprisingly nets one of his own – he’s played the biggest tallies poorly – but Auger-Aliassime looks to have a calf issue and when a forehand pass catches him at net, he’s again in trouble, tamely netting once again to cede a set he worked so hard to stick in – and I fear he’s hurt himself in the process.Sport hurts.*Sinner 6-5 Auger-Aliassime Sinner will be irritated this set is still in progress – his usual consistency dipped briefly, and cost him.But the best sportsfolk have goldfish memory and he puts it away immediately, rushing through a love hold; he’s dropped just three points on serve all set.Sinner 5-5 Auger-Aliassime* Ach, a big first serve, then a clean-up forehand walloped fractionally but perceptibly wide; pressure.

And when Auger-Alissime then nets, you fear for him,But a service winner halves his arrears then, offered a look at a second delivery, Sinner overhits; that’s a missed opportunity,But when a forehand is larruped way long, we move to deuce, Auger-Aliassime nets a backhand, all his hard and excellent work is in jeopardy, all the more so when he misses with his first serve,But the return goes into the net, a net cord leaps into the tramlines, and an ace down the T averts the danger,That’s a major escape for the Canadian, who made four unforced errors in that game; he’s a hold away from a tiebreaker.

*Sinner 5-4 Auger-Aliassime Can Auger-Aliassime penetrate on the Sinner serve? It’s not easy if he keeps landing first deliveries, but when he doesn’t, he nets a volley for 30-15,From there, though, he closes out another hold, sealed with a service winner, and upping the pressure: a break in the next game would mean the set,Sinner 4-4 Auger-Aliassime* What Auger-Aliassime is doing really well is holding his position on the baseline and, when there’s an opportunity to attack, committing to it; he’s not simply trying his hardest while waiting to lose,But then Sinner coaxes a backhand winner down the line when it looks like he’s going cross; an ace restores parity at 15-all, a service winner makes 40-15, and big serve followed by a swing volley secures an impressive hold,*Sinner 4-3 Auger-Aliassime So Auger-Aliassime survives his first major fright, the way he played the break points – aggressively but not recklessly – extremely impressive.

Sinner, of course, responds with a love hold, but he knows he’s in a match and, if he can’t break, this set will be decided by the odd winner or error.Sinner 3-3 Auger-Aliassime* The arena sounds more like a football ground when Auger-Aliassime begins to serve; he responds with an ace.But a backhand hooked wide invites Sinner into the game at 30-15 … a service-winner follows, only for a netted forehand to make things close; pressure.And Sinner quickly makes deuce – my screen jumps so I don’t see how.But I do see a framed forehand flying off to who knows where; Auger-Aliassime responds superbly, mashing a forehand winner to restore deuce, the raising advantage then opening the court for a winner.

Sinner, though, reads the direction, nails a forehand on the run, then an error donates him a second break point; again, Auger-Aliassime saves it well, serving out wide then crashing an overhead before earning a second advantage … only to see a backhand return backed up by a backhand winner pasted down the line; deuce,From there, though, the Canadian closes out a brilliant game, sealing an impressive hold; this is really enjoyable and engrossing,*Sinner 3-2 Auger-Aliassime Out of nothing, Auger-Aliassime ups the pace on the backhand, going corner to corner and making 0-15; he really fancies this,But a serve out wide, supported by a clean-up forehand, levels the game, a service-winner follows, and shortly afterwards, so does the game,Sinner 2-2 Auger-Aliassime* I say that, but it’s been a decent start from Auger-Aliassime, but up 15-0, he works Sinner wide only to overhit having opened the space to attack.

Still, the tactic was right even if the execution wasn’t quite and, when Sinner goes long, he has 30-15, then again attacks the forehand from the middle of the baseline to raise two game points, taking the second,Often, these matches are close until they’re not, but so far this is an engrossing contest,*Sinner 2-1 Auger-Aliassime You get the sense Auger-Aliassime thinks he can do something here – of the nine titles he’s won, eight have come on indoor hard,But if he’s to win, it may have to be with breakers, because Sinner is currently serving like God, quickly making 30-0,But when he misses a first delivery, Auger-Aliassime returns well, goes forehand to forehand and elicits the error.

For all the good it does him, two more swift points securing the hold.Sinner 1-1 Auger-Aliassime* Eeesh, Sinner gets an immediate look at a second serve, swipes a backhand return on to the line, then annihilates a winner down the line and into the corner.Auger-Aliassime, though, responds with an ace, then does enough with a volley for 30-15; as we thought, he wants to shorten points and get to net.And what a forehand he delivers from the back, dead centre of the baseline and leaping to land it just inside Sinner’s forehand corner, before an ace secures a impressive hold.*Sinner 1-0 Auger-Aliassime (*denotes server) Big serve, clean up at net; ace; colossal serve, swift forehand cross-court winner; netted return.

Standard Sinner, and that’s 1-0 in almost minus time.Sinner to serve, ready … play.Earlier in this group: Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 3 and 6.Anyroad up, out come our players…Nor is classical all he does:It’s almost time, classical music pumping – but not this, from one of Turin’s favourite sons.I was at the Albert Hall for this – I had free tickets to use and couldn’t find anything I wanted to see, so a mate recommended Einaudi and it blew my mind.

Laura Robson notes that the court is very fast which, on the face of things, favours Sinner, but if Auger-Aliassime does want to shorten points, it might help him.He sounds more confident these days and, at 25, he ought to be nearing his peak.How can Auger-Aliassime win tonight? Er, I’m not sure.He’ll want to shorten the points, keep Sinner moving, attack the second serve and perhaps lay some drops, given sinner is less effective at net that from the back.I also wonder if he’ll try slicing backhand to backhand, though that’s his weaker flank; it’s not easy to find weaknesses in Sinner’s armoury, but touch shots are closer to such thing than power ones