Carlos Alcaraz fights back to down defending champion Jannik Sinner and win tennis’ China Open
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Carlos Alcaraz edged a captivating final 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) for his fourth ATP crown of 2024 and 16th overall.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – Carlos Alcaraz rallied from a set down and held his nerve in a deciding tiebreak to beat defending champion Jannik Sinner 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in the China Open final on Oct 2 and win his fourth title of the season.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, who won both of his previous meetings with Sinner in 2024, recovered from a slow start to wrap up victory in 3hr 21min, improving his head-to-head record with the Italian to 6-4.
While the stage might not have been as grand as it was in some of their recent encounters, Sinner and Alcaraz pushed each other to the limit in the latest chapter of the burgeoning rivalry that has taken the ATP Tour by storm.
“He could have won in two, I could have won in two, it was a really close match,” the 21-year-old Alcaraz said after winning his 16th title.
“Jannik once again showed that he’s the best player in the world, with the level that he’s playing.
“It is unbelievable, it’s a really high quality of tennis, physically, mentally, he’s a beast.
“I had my chances in the first set but didn’t make it. But in general I’m proud of myself, the way that I dealt with the match, the way that I managed everything.”
After both players defended break points in a cagey start, Alcaraz seized the early break for a 3-1 lead when Sinner’s backhand went wide, before consolidating the advantage in the next as his Italian opponent netted a shot.
World No. 1 Sinner, whose last win over Alcaraz came in the semi-final of this tournament in 2023, gradually found his range to level at 5-5 and save two set points in the tiebreak to clinch the first set.
Alcaraz was on the ropes early in the second set and Sinner pushed him hard in a 15-minute game, but the second seed successfully held serve for 4-4.
Sinner’s failure to break in the lengthy game appeared to take the wind out of his sails, as Alcaraz sped through the next two games to level the match.
In the deciding tiebreak, Sinner snatched control to take a 3-0 lead, but some excellent work at the net helped Alcaraz edge a couple of rallies and go ahead 4-3, before finally clinching the title with an emphatic cross-court forehand winner. It ended the Italian’s run of 15 victories in a row.
The tiebreak defeat was uncharacteristic for Sinner, who had won 18 out of his past 19 tiebreaks.
Asked if Sinner’s record had caused him any doubt, the world No. 3 said: “I never lost hope, but honestly, I know that stat.
“Every time that Jannik plays (a tiebreak), it goes to his side.”
The result denied Australian Open and US Open champion Sinner the chance to become the first man to retain the crown at the China National Tennis Centre since Novak Djokovic won four straight titles between 2012 and 2015.
Djokovic said on Oct 2 he hoped Sinner’s doping case would be “resolved as soon as possible”, as he again bemoaned the tennis anti-doping system’s “inconsistencies”.
Sinner failed two doping tests in March but was cleared of wrongdoing
But the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) said on Sept 28 it had mounted an appeal,
Djokovic had previously said he could “understand the sentiments of a lot of players” who were questioning whether Sinner’s rank had protected him.
On Oct 2, speaking at a press conference at the Shanghai Masters, the former world No. 1 acknowledged it must be “very tough” for the Italian.
“I think it’s quite obvious that we have a system that is not working well,” the 37-year-old said.
“There are way too many inconsistencies, way too many governing bodies involved and, you know, just this whole case is not helping our sport at all.
“Whatever is going to happen at the end of the day, I just wish for it to be resolved as soon as possible.”
In the women’s draw of the China Open, top seed Aryna Sabalenka won her 15th match in a row to power into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Madison Keys on Oct 2.
The US Open champion will next face Karolina Muchova after the Czech saw off Cristina Bucsa of Spain 6-2, 6-0.
In the other last-16 encounters on Oct 2, Russia’s Mirra Andreeva beat Magda Linette of Poland 6-1, 6-3 to set up a quarter-final against home favourite Zheng Qinwen, who overcame American Amanda Anisimova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. REUTERS, AFP
