(Beijing) Jannik Sinner will covet his third title of the season after surprising world second player Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the semi-finals of the China Open on Tuesday.
Sinner will face Russian Daniil Medvedev in the final on Wednesday, who easily defeated eighth seed Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal match.
Sinner, who trailed by a break twice early in the first set, regained control of the match thanks to his play from the baseline, and he sealed the outcome of the first set on a break ‘equality. The 22-year-old Italian then stole the Spaniard’s serve early in the second set, and after being tested on a few occasions while serving, he managed to win all four final games to get victory.
“It’s definitely one of them (my biggest matches of my career),” Sinner said after his victory. All matches against him are difficult. We respect each other, and we are two very good players. When we confront each other, we try to respect our limits. »
For his part, Medvedev qualified for his eighth final of the season by recording a break near the end of each set against Zverev. He also avoided four breaks at his expense.
“I am very satisfied with my level of play,” Medvedev said. The roof was closed, so the playing conditions were different today; they were much faster. We are two big hitters, so it was only a few points that made the difference, and I was slightly more effective than him in serving in a break situation. »
The Russian is 6-0 in his career against Sinner, and has notably beaten him twice in the final this season – in Rotterdam and Miami.
Earlier Tuesday, top seed Aryna Sabalenka and reigning U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff toiled hard before defeating their respective opponents in the second round.
Sabalenka, who begins her first tournament in Beijing as world No. 1, overcame a deficit of one break in each set before ousting Katie Boulter 7-5, 7-6 (2).
“I played better than her at the right moments,” said Sabalenka, who will face world No. 36 Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16. Everything was decided during the last games of each round. She got her chances. But I am very satisfied not to have conceded these rounds to him so easily. »
World number two Iga Swiatek had less difficulty defeating Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva 6-4, 6-1 after an hour and 20 minutes of play. The Pole will now face her compatriot Magda Linette.
Gauff, the third player in the world, had to overcome a break delay in the third set to beat Petra Martic 7-5, 5-7, 7-6 (2). Martic, the 48th-ranked player in the world, served for the match after breaking Gauff to take a 5-4 lead. The American, however, responded by recording a break of serve in her turn, before dominating the ultimate tiebreaker.
Gauff will face Veronika Kudermetova in the round of 16, after the Russian came from behind to defeat Lesia Tsurenko 3-6, 6-0, 6-0.
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula overcame a one-set deficit to defeat world No. 39 Anna Blinkova 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 after just over two hours of play. , who was a finalist at the Tokyo tournament last Saturday, will face 13th seed Julia Ostapenko in the next round.
16-year-old Mirra Andreeva handed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova a 6-2, 6-1 defeat, setting the table for a third-round duel against fifth seed Elena Rybakina. The Wimbledon champion ousted Tatjana Maria 7-5, 6-0.
In other second-round matches, Marta Kostyuk knocked out seventh seed Ons Jabeur 7-6 (5), 6-1, ninth seed Caroline Garcia beat Yulia Putintseva 6-3, 3-6, 6 -3 and China’s Wang Xinyu upset 11th seed Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-2.
Furthermore, Adrian Mannarino erased a one-set deficit to beat American Sebastian Korda 4-6, 6-3 and 6-2 in the final of the Astana Open. He thus won his fourth career title.
Mannarino, seeded sixth in the tournament, was at one point trailing by a set and a break, but he won five straight games to take the second set. He continued his momentum in the third round and ended the duel after two hours and 10 minutes of play.
The 35-year-old Frenchman also obtained his second title this year, after the one acquired in Newport in July.