Carlos Alcaraz reached his first China Open final after beating World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the semifinals. It was the Spaniard’s eighth consecutive win since his second-round exit at the US Open last month.
Alcaraz has yet to drop a set since the North American hard court swing and looked full of confidence in Beijing. He beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Tallon Griekspoor, and Karen Khachanov to earn a place in the semifinals. He and Medvedev went toe to toe in the first set, but Alcaraz managed to sneak ahead and take the lead in the contest.
Alcaraz enjoyed his performance and even kept cupping his ear to a capacity Diamond Court crowd. Medvedev then began to suffer discomfort in his left leg while down 2-3. After treatment from the physio, he struggled to find his rhythm.
Medvedev’s hopes for a win slipped further after Alcaraz broke to lead 4-3. The 21-year-old then consolidated his lead to win the match 7-5, 6-3 in an hour and 26 minutes. He now has a 6-3 lead over Medvedev in their head-to-head record. During his on-court interview, Alcaraz said that his fighting spirit earned him the win over Medvedev.
You have to keep fighting. You should focus on yourself and your tennis, so that’s what I tried to do. I was still playing the same way I had played until that point in the match. I didn’t lose the focus in that moment, so I’m really happy that I kept pushing.
Alcaraz will play Jannik Sinner for the title after the Italian beat Yunchakete Bu 6-3, 7-6(3) in the other semifinal. The Spaniard has been to four finals this year, winning three and losing one. His only loss came against Novak Djokovic at the Paris Olympics, where he went on to claim the singles silver medal.
Carlos Alcaraz relishing a potentially tough battle against Jannik Sinner in the China Open final
Carlos Alcaraz is already looking forward to a potential battle against Jannik Sinner in the China Open final. The Spaniard has earned his place in the final and will face the Italian in the summit clash.
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner (via Imago)
Alcaraz has met Sinner twice this year, winning both times. He said that the World No. 1 will give him a tough time in the China Open final.
I really like the battles, the toughest match facing the best players in the world. So if I play against Jannik in the final, I will be happy, as well.
Carlos Alcaraz said
💬Alcaraz: "I really like the battles, the toughest match facing the best players in the world. So if I play against Jannik in the final, I will be happy, as well."#ChinaOpen#Tennis
Alcaraz has already toppled Alexander Zverev to become the World No. 2 by reaching the semifinals in Beijing. He is also the third player to reach five tour-level finals this season, after Sinner and Casper Ruud. Alcaraz will now look to beat Sinner to the title and also gain some ground in his bid to become the year-end No. 1.
Victor Okechukwu is a Tennis Writer at Firstsportz. With over six months of experience, he is aiming to understand how tennis tournaments connect with fans' lives. Also, he is a short story writer, good at weaving metaphorical phrases to reveal his characters, and also has more than two dozen publications to boast for it.
Victor Okechukwu
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