Beijing, The Spanish Carlos Alcaraz will play the final of the China Open against the Italian Jannik Sinner, while Paula Badosa beat one of the elite tennis players, the American Jessica Pegula, and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Alcaraz (N.3) beat the Russian Daniil Medvedev (N.5) in two sets (7-5 and 6-3) to reach, at 21 years old, his first final in this tournament that his legendary compatriot Rafael Nadal won in twice (2005 and 2017) and played for the title on two other occasions (2013 and 2015).
In a fairly even match, with successes and errors by both players, Alcaraz showed more consistency to win the first set with a break and, having overcome this obstacle, the second round was much more favorable to the Spaniard, thanks above all to his rest.
“I’m glad I didn’t lose concentration for too long,” Alcaraz admitted after the match, seeing how Medvedev returned the goal. break immediately after breaking the opponent’s serve twice in the first set.
Rivalry with Sinner
The current tournament champion Jannik Sinner also made it to the final, beating the Chinese Yunchaokete Bu (N.96) 6-3, 7-6 and 7-3.
Despite the superiority of the 23-year-old Italian, things became complicated for Sinner, mainly because he did not take advantage of his chances of break (only 1 of 9) and because he made many direct errors (38), although he doubled his rival in winners (31 to 15).
And break It was enough for Sinner to take the first set, but then he needed to close the match in the tie break faced with the resistance of a rival who played in Beijing thanks to a wildcard (invitation).
Sinner, who has only lost 5 matches this year, will seek his sixth title in 2024 (Australia, Rotterdam, Miami, Halle, Cincinnati, US Open). Two of his losses were precisely against Alcaraz in Indian Wells and Roland Garros, both in the semifinals.
Badosa with good step
Badosa (N.19), who a few months ago admitted having thought about retiring at the age of 26 due to his persistent back pain, seems to have forgotten his physical problems and reached the quarterfinals for the fifth time in 2024, all of them in the last three months and the last three times consecutively.
The player born in New York, who became No. 2 in April 2022, beat the American Jessica Pegula (No. 3) 6-4 and 6-2, in just one hour and four minutes of play.
Pegula went 1-3 in the first set after breaking her rival’s serve, but Badosa reacted and became a cyclone that swept away the finalist in the last US Open, winning 11 of the last 12 games played.
“I was looking to beat a Top 10, so I am very happy to have achieved it,” congratulated the Spanish player, whose greatest success was the victory in Indian Wells in 2021, in her only final played in a WTA 1000 so far.
Badosa will face Zhang Shuai in the quarterfinals, the Chinese player who continues to make history and who defeated the Polish Magdalena Frech (N.31), 6-4 and 6-2.
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– 2024-10-04 15:01:37
