RIYADH, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion Jannik Sinner set up a semifinal clash with Serbian veteran Novak Djokovic after easing past Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas as the 2025 Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament opened in Riyadh on Wednesday.
Facing Tsitsipas, who has been struggling with form recently and has dropped to No. 24 in the world rankings, the second-ranked Italian quickly raced to a 5-0 lead and wrapped up the first set 6-2.
In the second set, Sinner once again broke serve early. Although Tsitsipas managed to hold serve in the seventh game to narrow the gap to 3-4, Sinner raised his level again, taking the next two games to secure a 6-3 win.
Also on Wednesday, world No. 4 Taylor Fritz of the United States fired eight aces and saved all three break points en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Germany's third-ranked Alexander Zverev in just 59 minutes.
World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic have both received direct entry into the semifinals. On Thursday, Sinner will take on Djokovic, while Fritz will face Alcaraz. The final is scheduled for Saturday.
"It [playing against Djokovic] is never easy. It's one of the most difficult challenges we have in the sport. The numbers and records that he achieved during his career is amazing and something nobody did before in the sport. I'm honored and privileged to share the court with him again. And we all hope for a great match," said Sinner.
The Six Kings Slam exhibition tennis tournament was launched in 2024 as one of the key events of the "Riyadh Season." Each year, six of the world's top male tennis players compete in the tournament. Last year, Sinner came from behind to defeat Alcaraz in the final. ■
