BEIJING (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner will play rival Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the China Open after recording a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory against home favorite Bu Yunchaokete in the semifinals on Tuesday.
Sinner and Alcaraz accounted for all four Grand Slam titles this year between them. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 5-4 — including wins at both their meetings this year — but Sinner doesn't believe that recent history will have a bearing on Wednesday's final.
“It’s going to be a tough match," Sinner said. "We know each other very well now, but every match is different, so the situation on the court is also a bit different than it was the last two matches. But let’s see.”
The 23-year-old Italian is the defending champion and hasn't appeared distracted by the World Anti-Doping Agency announcing Saturday it was seeking a ban of one to two years for the U.S. Open champion, who tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March.
Chinese wild card Yunchaokete, ranked 96th, held his own in the heavy baseline exchanges to put pressure on Sinner's service games, but couldn't take any of his three break-point chances in the first set.
Sinner’s experience proved crucial during the pivotal moments, especially in the second-set tiebreaker, where he surged to a 6-1 lead.
Earlier, third-ranked Alcaraz's athleticism was again on show as he advanced to the final with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Daniil Medvedev.
“I felt great on the court once again, so I’m really happy about it,” Alcaraz said. “I think I couldn’t ask for a better semifinal.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion — including this year's French Open and Wimbledon — extended his head-to-head record against the Russian to 6-2.
The 21-year-old Spaniard found his way through a testing first set that had five breaks of serve, but crucially it was Alcaraz's third service break in the 12th game that secured the set.
With the confidence of a set lead, Alcaraz accelerated and Medvedev had no answers as the Spaniard wrapped up the semifinal in 88 minutes.
Alcaraz has now won eight straight matches — across the Davis Cup, Laver Cup and in Beijing — since his loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round at the U.S. Open.
Pegula crashes out
Paula Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula at the China Open to reach her eighth career quarterfinal at a WTA 1000-level event.
From 3-1 down in the opening set, former No. 2-ranked Badosa dominated in her first-ever win over third-ranked Pegula.
“She’s one the of the players I never want to face -- she’s very solid, hits very flat, changes very well direction,” said Badosa, who was 0-3 previously against Pegula. “I prepared myself for a battle, but I think today everything worked pretty well."
Badosa next faces 35-year-old Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who continued her resurgence with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech of Poland.
Zhang entered the China Open on a 24-match losing streak and ranked No. 595, but she's yet to drop a set in four matches this week.
Zhang is now into her first women's tour quarterfinal since Tokyo in 2022, and her first at a WTA 1000 tournament since Cincinnati in the same year.
“In this draw, everyone has a higher ranking than me,” Zhang said. “Just step on court, just play. So I do not have much to think about, to prepare. I will just focus on myself.”
Yuliia Starodubtseva of Ukraine also caused an upset loss beating No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 6-0.
The No. 115-ranked Starodubtseva will play the winner of the marquee women's match of the day between four-time major winner Naomi Osaka and sixth-ranked Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals.
It will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, with the head-to-head series tied at 2-2.
Japan Open
Arthur Fils gave a gritty performance and rallied to beat French compatriot Ugo Humbert 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the final of the Japan Open.
Fils saved a championship point in the second-set tiebreaker before completing the turnaround to earn his third tour-level title.
The 20-year-old Fils struggled with an injury to his left leg for much of the second set and when trailing 4-3 in the second set — with three break points for his opponent — it looked almost certain that Humbert would go on to win his seventh final in seven appearances.
Fils defeated four top-20 opponents — U.S. Open finalist Taylor Fritz, defending champion Ben Shelton, Holger Rune and Humbert — on his way to the title.
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The Associated Press
