Alcaraz Triumphs Over Sinner to Secure China Open Title

Carlos Alcaraz came back from a set down to defeat world number one Jannik Sinner in a thrilling match and earn his maiden China Open title on Wednesday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion won a thrilling final 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) for his fourth ATP title of the year and 16th overall.

The Spaniard, who is likely to return to world number two behind Sinner, trailed 3-0 in the final-set tie break before rallying to win in three hours and 21 minutes.

Sinner was dethroned as Beijing champion after an epic battle in the longest men’s singles match in China Open history.

Alcaraz called it “a special win” that was even more satisfying in light of his shock second-round exit at the recent US Open.

He hopes it will win the sport more fans.

“When Jannik and I play it’s a good thing for tennis because we always show a really intense match, really close match, great points, great rallies,” he said.

“I think for people who don’t watch tennis, probably thanks to these kind of matches, they will start to watch tennis or even practise it.”

US Open champion Sinner reached the final in Beijing under fresh scrutiny.

The Italian has admitted to sleepless nights over his doping case, which was reignited at the weekend when the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it had appealed against a decision to clear him.

He called it one of the toughest matches he had ever played.

“These kind of matches can really go both ways, but it was not my day,” said Sinner.

“He played better in the important moments, that’s it.”

He added: “Today all three sets, they were very tough physically.”

 ‘Great battle’

In front of a packed house, Sinner was first to blink, with second-seeded Alcaraz breaking for a 3-1 lead in the opening set.

The Spaniard held easily for 4-1 and had his opponent rattled.

Alcaraz, 21, served for the set but Sinner grabbed the break back when he needed it most.

Sinner then saved set point on his own serve to force the tie break, and saved another in the tie break before taking the set at his first opportunity when Alcaraz fired long.

It was the first set Alcaraz had dropped all week.

The second set was just as tight.

Both players saw chances come and go but they went with serve until Alcaraz broke for 5-4, before holding to send the final into a third set.

The decider again went to a tie break, where Alcaraz finally prevailed on his first match point.

“It was a great battle again,” said Sinner, 23, who tested positive for steroids twice in March but was cleared of charges and permitted to continue playing.

In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Sinner’s explanation that the substance entered his system accidently when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut before administering massage and sports treatment to him.

WADA announced on Saturday that it had filed an appeal and sought a ban of up to two years.

Zheng survives the scare.
In the women’s draw, Zheng Qinwen, China’s Olympic champion, defeated 43rd-ranked American Amanda Anisimova 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Zheng will face Russian 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals.

It kept the local favourite on track to face world number two Aryna Sabalenka in a thrilling last-four battle.

The top seed maintained her end of the deal by defeating another American, Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-3.

Sabalenka, the US Open champion, will next face Czech Karolina Muchova.

AFP