J. SINNER/B. Shelton
6-3, 7-6
THE MODERATOR: Jannik, well done again. You extended your indoor winning streak. Just a few words about your matchup tomorrow against Alex.
JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, he has passed from a very tough place to one of the best places, of course.
I'm playing semis here, it's a very special occasion. I'm looking forward for the match. It's going to be, of course, very tough, very difficult, very physical, but I'm looking forward to it.
I'm happy that I'm in the semifinals. We all hope for a great match.
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Going into this match with Alex, does what's happened before make any difference? Considering your record of 12-nil, you've only lost two sets to him in all those matches, anything can happen, but does what's happened in the past have any bearing?
JANNIK SINNER: No. I mean, of course what happened happened. In a way we both know what happened in the past between us in the matches we've played. He has been close in couple of matches. Especially this season we played always in different situations on the court, different type of courts. Let's see what's coming out tomorrow.
As I said, he had a very tough loss here where he felt a bit down, but it has changed very, very quickly one day. This shows how hard tennis is, that every day is different.
But again, if I see the match against Taylor, one of the best matches he has played this season, it shows that tennis really can change a lot from one day to the other.
I'm just excited to go at least one more time on this court, having the great support, great crowd. I hope I can perform in the best possible way.
Q. There's been some discussion about maybe the Davis Cup, it would benefit the competition and the players if rather than being every year, it was every two years or every three years. Carlos talked about it yesterday and said that might be a good idea. What are your thoughts on that?
JANNIK SINNER: Yeah, I mean, Davis Cup is a very interesting topic. Every player has its own opinion.
I think playing with this schedule, Davis Cup, it's difficult that you have every year from every country the best players in the world.
What I would like, what I could see potentially in the future, is having Davis Cup throughout two years, so you can also set up the semifinals in the beginning of the year and the final in the end of the year somewhere. It's also nice where you can choose, make the coin toss, whatever, and you play in this stadium, and you sell tickets.
Like this, if you play in Bologna, there is the matchup Australia against U.S., of course there are going to be spectators. I'm not saying that. But in the same time, why not making it a real Davis Cup competition?
I never unfortunately played the Davis Cup, the real Davis Cup, where it's away, playing in Argentina or in Brazil where you have the whole stadium not against you but for the other team. I think this is Davis Cup, you know?
Us Italians are lucky because we can play here. Also Malaga is not far away. We have a huge amount of people and support. They love tennis. People are always going to move.
In the same time, as I said, it can happen that Australia plays against U.S. next year maybe in Bologna. You don't have this Davis Cup feeling. This the only thing.
Then, of course, there are many dynamics behind what me personally maybe I don't know.
But yeah, I would like it in two years, that one competition goes in two years, so you can set up big matches with great venues. It makes it even bigger.
Q. Now that the group is over, it's a new tournament that begins. Are you in a different mindset during the group and the semis, for example?
JANNIK SINNER: No, no, to be honest. Every match counts. Every match, when you go on court, also in the round-robin, you play for a lot of points. They're also important for the whole next year because they are in the system for the whole next year. So no, it doesn't really change.
Of course, semifinals is bigger stage, but this is in every tournament. The bigger it gets, the more exciting it gets. I'm happy to be one of the four players being in the semis.
But it doesn't change a lot from the mental aspect.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports