Current:Home > StocksCarlos Alcaraz fights back to beat Jannik Sinner in China Open final -InvestPioneer
Carlos Alcaraz fights back to beat Jannik Sinner in China Open final
View
Date:2025-04-13 17:31:26
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) 6-4 7-6(3) in the China Open final on Wednesday and win his fourth title of the season.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, who won both of his previous meetings with Sinner this year, recovered from a slow start to wrap up victory in three hours, 21 minutes and improve 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. Jannik once again showed that he's the best player in the world, with the level that he's playing," Alcaraz, 21, said.
"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. For me, it was a really good match."
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 semifinals of this tournament last year, 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 at a set apiece.
The Spaniard cranked up the intensity on his forehand and broke for a 2-1 lead in the third set, but with victory seemingly in sight, he suffered a lapse in concentration and allowed Sinner to level at 4-4.
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.
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, Alcaraz said: "I never lost hope, but honestly, I know that stat. Every time that Jannik plays (a tiebreak), it goes to his side.
"I'm not going to lie, at 3-0 down and with two mini breaks for him, I thought, 'Okay, I have to give everything that I have just to try to give myself the opportunity to be close'.
"I played great points just to make it 3-3 and after that, I just thought 'go for it'. If I lost it, at least I went for it."
The result denied Australian Open and U.S. Open champion Sinner becoming the first man to retain the crown at the China National Tennis Centre since Novak Djokovic won four straight titles between 2012-15.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Kate Spade 24-Hour Flash Deal: Get This $250 Crossbody Bag for Just $79
- To Equitably Confront Climate Change, Cities Need to Include Public Health Agencies in Planning Adaptations
- Warming Trends: A Potential Decline in Farmed Fish, Less Ice on Minnesota Lakes and a ‘Black Box’ for the Planet
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Emergency slide fell from United Airlines plane as it flew into Chicago O'Hare airport
- Titanic Submersible Passenger Shahzada Dawood Survived Horrifying Plane Incident 5 Years Ago With Wife
- Killings of Environmental Advocates Around the World Hit a Record High in 2020
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- 2 more eyedrop brands are recalled due to risks of injury and vision problems
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Inside Eminem and Hailie Jade Mathers' Private Father-Daughter Bond
- Dutch Court Gives Shell Nine Years to Cut Its Carbon Emissions by 45 Percent from 2019 Levels
- Girlfriend Collective's Massive Annual Sale Is Here: Shop Sporty Chic Summer Essentials for Up to 50% Off
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- 39 Products To Make the Outdoors Enjoyable if You’re an Indoor Person
- Warming Trends: Cooling Off Urban Heat Islands, Surviving Climate Disasters and Tracking Where Your Social Media Comes From
- Shop J.Crew’s Extra 50% Off Sale and Get a $100 Skirt for $16, a $230 Pair of Heels for $28, and More
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Kim Kardashian Shares Twinning Photo With Kourtney Kardashian From North West's Birthday Party
Succession and The White Lotus Casts Reunite in Style
House escalates an already heated battle over federal government diversity initiatives
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Looking for a deal on a beach house this summer? Here are some tips.
Does the 'Bold Glamour' filter push unrealistic beauty standards? TikTokkers think so
A Crisis Of Water And Power On The Colorado River