Sinner 1-1 *Djokovic (*denotes next server)

Whoah. There’s a helluva rally on the first point of Sinner’s service game. Sinner looks to have hit a winner cross-court, after a lengthy exchange from the baseline, but Djokovic hunts it down and returns with interest. Sinner holds on for 15-0. But the Serb is striking the ball imperiously. Djokovic hits long – 30-0 – then Sinner flops a shot into the net from the baseline for 30-15. Sinner thumps a massive wide serve for 40-15 which Djokovic, somehow, gets a racket on, but Djokovic hauls him back to 40-30. A lovely drop shot by Sinner seals the game and he pumps his fist, relieved to have avoided a deuce battle with his tenacious opponent.

*Sinner 0-1 Djokovic (*denotes next server)

A solid first serve down the middle sets up Djokovic to win the first point of the match. Then an ace, and it’s quickly 30-0, and another ace shaped out wide for 40-0. Sinner manages to get into a rally on second serve at 40-0, but is never really in the point, and that’s a very strong hold for Djokovic to kick things off.

“I don’t think this is going to be a straight-sets match, I think this is going the distance,” says Greg Rusedski. “Today’s going to be a lot about belief. How much does Jannik Sinner really believe he can beat Novak Djokovic?”

“For me, I just think Djokovic is going to be a different animal,” says Tim Henman, court-side for Amazon Prime. “I think he’s going to find that way to play a little bit better and get across the line.”

Henman adds he thinks it’ll be Djokovic in straight sets, and Hantuchova agrees.

Sinner’s out on court first, bouncing up and down on his toes, shaking hands with the officials, all that jazz. Djokovic soon joins him. The Serb wins the toss and elects to serve first. Time for a quick photo and we are ready to go.

Here come the players. The young Italian, ranked No 4, is out first.

Are you a Sinner, or are you a winner? Maybe he can be both.

And now here’s Djokovic, walking out to suitably dramatic music.

Here we go, then. Well nearly. The Amazon Prime coverage has fired up, and the pundits are having a chat. “If he stays injury free, he should be lifting a grand slam next year,” says Daniela Hantuchova of Sinner’s progress.

My prediction is that this will definitely go to three sets.

In doubles news, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury retained their ATP Finals title earlier on, beating Marcel Granollers and Marc Ceballos 6-3, 6-4 in the final.

Andy Murray has been forced to withdraw from the Davis Cup and end his season after suffering a shoulder injury in training. He had been training at the National Tennis Centre this week and preparing for the final event of the year when he suffered the injury. Great Britain face Serbia on Thursday in Málaga at the Final 8 knockout stage of the Davis Cup finals.

Forget the tennis. A much bigger match will take place in Wimbledon next week as the All England Lawn Tennis Club takes on another local council over its plan to build an 8,000-seat stadium on a Grade II*-listed park.

The AELTC will on Tuesday night attempt to convince Wandsworth’s planning committee to vote through its proposal to build the 10-storey show court and 38 other grass courts on Wimbledon Park. Campaigners have described the proposals as an “industrial tennis complex”.

“I predict Sinner to win,” emails Abdul. “He has the momentum.”

After losing the semi-final, Medvedev predicted that Sinner – if he keeps up this form – will become world No 1 and win multiple grand slams. So perhaps Medvedev would agree with you, Abdul.

Then again, it’s Djokovic isn’t it? I didn’t see the semi-finals but it sounds like he fairly blew Alcaraz off the court.

For me, a tough one to call, but a match that both players will want to win. More searing insight coming up soon.

Will Sinner repeat the feat of earlier in the week and beat Djokovic a second time? Or will the Serb grind his precocious opponent into the dust? You can email me with your predictions.

This final, by the way, is best of three sets, just like all the other matches in the tournament.

Djokovic, it is fair to say, was not a happy customer on Thursday afternoon after he beat the alternate, Hubert Hurkacz, in three sets. The dropped set meant that qualification was put out of his hands and he proceeded to give some distinctly snippy post-match interviews. But it turned out all right when Rune was defeated by Sinner later that night.

The tale of the tape: Djokovic leads Sinner 3-1 in their head-to-head.

Djokovic won at the Monte Carlo Masters in 2021, in two sets, then at Wimbledon in 2022 and 2023. The quarter-final in 2022 was a five-setter when Djokovic hit back from two sets down in typically tenacious style. The semi-final this year was in straight sets.

But Sinner, of course, had Djokovic’s number earlier this week, which is what makes today’s match so fascinating.

Australia have just beaten India by six wickets to win the ODI Cricket World Cup!

Novak Djokovic has today’s opponent, Jannik Sinner, to thank for the fact he’s still here. Following the Serb’s group stage defeat by the Italian, Djokovic would have been eliminated had Holger Rune beaten Sinner on Thursday night.

As things turned out the home favourite won in three, which meant Djokovic joined him, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals of this season-closing event in northern Italy. Djokovic blew away Alcaraz (the man who beat him in an epic Wimbledon final) while the Russian, Medvedev, was dispatched by the increasingly confident Sinner.

Which brings us to today’s final. Djokovic already has the Australian Open, French Open and US Open in the trophy cabinet this year. Can the world No 4 find a way past the irrepressible Serb and prompt a smattering of erroneous ‘changing of the guard’ headlines? We’re about to find out.

Match start: 5pm UK time