Jannik Sinner emerged as the champion of the China Open by securing a monumental win in the finals, defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) in Beijing.
The 22-year-old Italian was able to defeat Medvedev in just over two hours, despite losing to him in their previous six matches. This victory earned him his ninth ATP title, and third of the season. Sinner, who was seeded sixth, also achieved a first-time win against top seed Carlos Alcaraz on a hard court in the semi-final, with a final score of 7-6 (7-4), 6-1.
“Daniil, I appreciate you allowing me to win at least one match,” Sinner expressed during the trophy presentation. “We have faced some challenging battles, especially this year. Thank you for helping me improve as a player. I have been putting in a lot of training to beat you. My team has also been working diligently. Thank you very much, it means a lot to share this moment with you.”
Sinner ended the match with 29 successful shots and 13 mistakes, while his Russian rival had 26 winners and 11 errors. Both players were unsuccessful in converting break points, but Sinner’s dominance at the net (winning 23 points compared to Medvedev’s eight) and in the tie-breaks ultimately gave him the edge. This win brings Sinner closer to securing a spot in the ATP Finals at the end of the year.
At the WTA China Open, Iga Swiatek progressed to the quarter-finals after defeating her fellow Polish player Magda Linette 6-1, 6-1.
Elena Rybakina recovered from a rough first set to secure a 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 triumph against Mirra Andreeva, while Jelena Ostapenko claimed a 6-4, 6-2 victory over the fourth-seeded Jessica Pegula.
Andy Murray was eliminated from the ATP Shanghai Masters in the first round after a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Roman Safiullin.
Murray, who has won the Shanghai title three times, lost his first service game and had opportunities to immediately break back, but Safiullin seized a 2-0 lead. The Russian went on to break Murray twice more, securing the first set 6-3 and taking control of the second set.
Safiullin experienced a brief delay as Murray regained a point, but the ex-top ranked player was unable to maintain his serve while trailing 2-1, ultimately resulting in defeat. In an attempt to keep the match alive, Murray made an unforced error on a routine forehand, giving Safiullin a chance to win. After a video review, it was determined that Safiullin’s return was in bounds, sealing his victory.
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Murray had a tough day as he was eliminated early from the China Open by Alex de Minaur. Safiullin, ranked 41st in the world, will face Alexander Zverev in a rematch of their previous encounter at the Chengdu Open, which was won by the German.
Zhizhen Zhang from China dominated Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-2 to claim his first victory in the main draw at his hometown tournament. The crowd-favorite wild card Buyunchaokete, also known as just one name, celebrated his ATP Tour debut with a win after Miomir Kecmanovic withdrew from their match.
Chile’s Cristian Garín won against American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic and will now play against Medvedev, who received a pass for the first round. Sinner will face Marcos Giron after defeating Colombia’s Daniel Galán in their initial match.
Source: theguardian.com
