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Machac made a promising start by winning the opening two games before Sinner got on the board, with the top seed closing out a hard-fought first set in 44 minutes after errors flew from Machac’s racket.
The two-time Grand Slam champion was made to work hard by Machac, even more so in the second set, but Sinner proved too solid for his fellow 23-year-old as he sealed his 64th win of 2024 while making just nine unforced errors.
He will next face fourth-seeded and record 24-time Major winner Novak Djokovic, who outlasted American seventh seed Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).
The Italian’s dominant season has seen him win his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and another at the US Open. He is the first Italian to finish the year as world No. 1.
"It’s amazing. It’s something you dream of when you’re a kid, when you’re young. Just to reach the No. 1 spot, and now to have the year-end... it’s also a different and special feeling," Sinner said.
"But this happened during the tournament. So I’m not even thinking about that. I know tomorrow will be an important day. But still it means so much to me obviously.
"This is something I could not accomplish without the people and family and friends I have. Credit to my team."
Machac, who won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Paris Olympics, ended four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz’s 12-match winning streak on Oct 11 to reach the last four.
"I think we all saw how much talent and firepower he (Machac) has," Sinner added. "I had to be very, very careful in every service game. He’s returning very aggressively and very fast.
"I just tried to stay there every point, trying to see what’s going to happen... playing every point at the maximum intensity I could. I’m very happy about that. Happy to be back in a final again."
Sinner can win his seventh trophy of the year on Oct 13 in the title-decider.
Meanwhile, holder Aryna Sabalenka rallied to beat Coco Gauff 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the Wuhan Open semi-finals as double faults proved to be the American’s undoing.
The 20-year-old Gauff, who has made some grip changes with new coach Matt Daly, had 21 double faults as top seed Sabalenka, who struggled against the world No. 4’s power earlier, swung the momentum in her favour.
"Couple of mistakes from her and I thought maybe I still have (a) chance in this match... it was a very important win," Sabalenka said after reaching the Wuhan Open final for the third time in a row.
The Belarusian will face fifth seed Zheng Qinwen, the Paris Olympic gold medallist, who ousted fellow Chinese Wang Xinyu 6-3, 6-4.
Sabalenka has now won 19 of her last 20 matches, a stretch that includes titles in Cincinnati and at the US Open.
"The atmosphere was incredible," she added. "It definitely felt like one of the biggest matches of my career because the crowd made it feel like it was a Grand Slam final."
Sabalenka started the second set aggressively, summoning the best of her strength. She finally found success as Gauff struggled to hold her own serve.
Gauff’s double faults, coupled with slower, nervous second serves, allowed Sabalenka to pressure her with power shots as the Belarusian won four games in a row to win the second set 6-4.
Sabalenka’s winning momentum continued in the third set as she went 4-1 up before Gauff got her first break in the set to make it 4-4.
However, Sabalenka took control again, getting another break to win the match.
