Jannik Sinner handed rare gift by Terence Atmane before dishing out Cincinnati defeat

It was a birthday with a difference for world No.1 Jannik Sinner on Saturday. The Italian celebrated turning 24 in style, beating qualifier Terence Atmane 7-6 6-2 to set up a clash with Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Cincinnati Open.

Not before his opponent handed him a special gift, though. The French qualifier has had a tournament to remember in Ohio, beating Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune en route to the final four. Before facing Sinner, he further endeared himself to fans with a heartwarming gesture.

While the pair were in the tunnel pre-match, Atmane handed Sinner a Pokemon trading card as a birthday present. The 23-year-old is known to be an avid collector of the cards, and his gift drew a warm smile from Sinner.

Afterwards, he referenced his opponent's kindness, saying: "I was talking to him a little bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokemon cards, and I'm very lucky that I got one of his ones.

"It was just a nice moment before a match, we didn't know each other at all. So, it was a nice moment. The card was a kind of Pikachu. It said 30 damage to itself, so I don't know if that is good or not."

The incident set the tone for an entertaining opening set as relations between the two opponents stayed respectful. The top seed eventually came through in a tie break, serving an ace at 6-4 up to wrap it up.

The four-time Grand Slam champion then upped the ante, breaking at 2-1 in the second set before later setting up three match points at 5-2. Atmane kept fighting, saving the first two, before a forehand winner ended matters.

Sinner further marked his birthday after the victory. He was seen posing with team members with a birthday cake, and will now enjoy a day off before taking on Alcaraz on Monday.