BEIJING, OCT 1 – Second seed Carlos Alcaraz defeated Daniil Medvedev to reach his first final at the China Open after winning 7-5, 6-3 in the semi-finals today.
Alcaraz will meet world number one, Jannik Sinner, or player wildcard from China, Bu Yunchaokete, to win the title in Beijing. Medvedev, the third-seeded Russian, was looking to repeat his run to last year’s final, but this time the 21-year-old Spaniard produced a brilliant performance, halting the progress of Medvedev, who suffered from problems with his left leg, requiring treatment twice in the second set.
“I think I played very well. If I want to beat Daniil, I have to play high quality tennis,” said Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion who is yet to lose a set in the tournament.
“I am very happy with my game on the court today. This was a semi-final I couldn’t have asked for better,” he added.
After the match, the two players exchanged friendly words at the net.
Medvedev jokingly said he might have to impersonate Botic van de Zandschulp, the Dutchman who stunned Alcaraz in the second round of the recent US Open, to beat Alcaraz.
“Maybe this can help,” Medvedev told reporters.
Meanwhile, Zhang Shuai, the 595th ranked player in the world, continued his remarkable rise by advancing to the next stage. – AFP
