Category: Tennis

Jannik Sinner ignored the bubbling controversy over his steroid case and a roaring home crowd to set up a China Open final against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday.

The world number one and defending champion defeated the 96th-ranked Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) to avoid a major upset.

Jannik Sinner faces Carlos Alcaraz, who was in fine form in a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in the other semi-final.

“It’s a very delicate moment, very difficult, very different,” Sinner said after racking up a 15th win in a row even as he makes headlines off the court.

“So every victory for me is a great sign.”

In front of a packed house on China’s national day, US Open champion Sinner was facing a player he had never met before and who was competing in the biggest match of his life.

China’s 22-year-old Bu was also in the form of his life, having reached the semi-finals last week in Hangzhou.

Bu had Sinner under pressure on the Italian’s serve early in the first set, but Sinner staved off the threat and the storm gradually blew itself out as the set wore on.

They went to the tiebreak in the second set, with Sinner sending down his 11th ace of the contest to convert his third match point after just over two hours.

Nobody has won more matches on tour this season than Sinner, 23, who failed two doping tests in March but was cleared of wrongdoing and allowed to keep playing.

Tennis authorities accepted Sinner’s explanation that trace amounts of a banned steroid unintentionally entered his system from a physiotherapist who used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reignited the case on Saturday, saying it had appealed the decision and is seeking a ban of up to two years.

Jannik Sinner has admitted to having sleepless nights over the issue.

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Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz reached his first Beijing final and is in ominous form, yet to drop a set.

“I think I played really well. Obviously if I want to beat Daniil, I have to play really good tennis, high-quality tennis,” said Alcaraz, who is chasing a 16th ATP Tour title — which would equal Sinner.

“I felt great on the court once again, so I’m really happy about it. I think I couldn’t ask for a better semi-final.”

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have met nine times previously on the tour, with the Spaniard holding a 5-4 edge in wins.

In the women’s draw, 595th-ranked home hope Zhang Shuai — one of the storylines of the tournament — rolled into the quarter-finals to make more history.

Her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Magdalena Frech was her fourth win in Beijing and all in straight sets — having come into the event after losing 24 singles matches in a row.

The barren run lasting more than 600 days was the second-longest on the WTA Tour in the Open Era, which began in 1968.

The 35-year-old Zhang, a former two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist who has been plagued by injury, said she had come close to quitting singles tennis before coming to Beijing.

“I had no idea how to win and I didn’t want to lose another, especially with all the Chinese fans,” she said.

“Walking back to the locker room, I didn’t know if I should continue or not before this tournament.”

The former top-25 player will face Spain’s 19th-ranked Paula Badosa in the last eight.

Zhang is the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage of the China Open and struck a defiant pose — a tribute to Kylian Mbappe — after beating 31st-ranked Frech.

Former world number two Badosa dumped out US Open finalist Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0 to make the second-seeded American the biggest casualty so far.

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World number one Jannik Sinner fought back to launch the defence of his China Open title with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over 28th-ranked Chilean Nicolas Jarry on Thursday.

The US Open champion next faces veteran three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka, who is a wildcard entry in Beijing, or Russia’s Roman Safiullin.

The 23-year-old Sinner arrived in the Chinese capital fresh from winning in New York for his second major title, having triumphed at the Australian Open at the start of the year.

With victory also at the Cincinnati Masters before the US Open, Sinner faced Jarry in red-hot form and on an 11-match winning streak.

Jannik Sinner made that 12, but not before suffering a scare.

“In the first set I was struggling to return his serve and he broke me,” Sinner said.

“I just tried to stay there mentally. The first round at any tournament is never easy and playing against him is very tough.

“But I am happy about the performance and how I ended the match.”

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The two went toe-to-toe in the first set but it was the Chilean who got in front when he broke for a 4-3 lead when the world number one fired long.

The 28-year-old Jarry consolidated without losing a point in the eighth game and, after double-faulting on his first set point, sealed the set with his fifth ace of the match.

Going behind seemed to sting a re-energised Sinner into action.

The top seed raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set, eventually wrapping the set up after briefly threatening to blow his advantage.

Sinner tamed Jarry’s big serve to start the deciding set and grab an early break, winning the game with a terrific crosscourt backhand.

Sinner broke again for 4-1 and was well on the way to an ultimately comfortable win.

Jannik Sinner’s main rivals in the China Open will be four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz and the Russian duo of Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev, the third and fourth seeds.

Novak Djokovic is not in Beijing, where a WTA 1000 event is also taking place at the same time.

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Aryna Sabalenka said Tuesday that she wants to cap off a stellar year by returning to the top of the world rankings.

The world number two is the top seed at the China Open this week following the withdrawal of top-ranked Iga Swiatek, the defending champion, because of undisclosed “personal matters”.

Fresh from winning the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka can take a large step towards overhauling the Pole at the top of the rankings with victory in Beijing.

“Of course that’s one of my goals, to finish the season at world number one,” the Belarusian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year for a second time, said.

But the 26-year-old added: “I’m not trying to focus on that, I’m trying to focus on my game. There is only three tournaments left.

“I’m just trying to bring my best tennis on court. After the season, I’ll see if it was enough to finish the year at number one or have to improve something else to get to number one.”

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The three-time major champion first became world number one a year ago, before being usurped by Swiatek.

“To be called the best player in the world, that means everything. It’s good to know that you’ve been doing the right thing, all of that hours of training, wasn’t a waste of time,” she said.

Aryna Sabalenka will be playing for the first time since beating Jessica Pegula in the final in New York earlier this month. She has a bye in the first round.

Pegula also features at the prestigious 1000 WTA hardcourt event in the Chinese capital, along with fellow American Coco Gauff, four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

The competition begins on Wednesday.

A men’s ATP 500 event runs alongside the women’s tournament.

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The United States booked their ticket to the Davis Cup final eight with a 3-0 win over Slovakia in Zhuhai on Friday, with Germany also advancing.

Mackenzie McDonald beat Lukas Klein 6-4, 6-3 in the opening singles rubber before Brandon Nakashima eased past Jozef Kovalik 6-3, 6-3 to give the Americans an unassailable 2-0 lead.

Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram then teamed up in the doubles to battle past Klein and Norbert Gombos 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4), 10-1.

Bob Bryan’s US team, playing without top players including US Open runner-up Taylor Fritz and semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe, also beat Chile 3-0 earlier this week.

The US victory meant Group C rivals Germany also qualified for the Final 8 which will be held in Malaga in November 19-24.

Germany and the US will go head-to-head for top spot in their final group game on Saturday which will determine their seeding for Malaga.

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Sixteen countries are competing in the group stage finals in four cities with the top two from each group advancing to the eight-team final.

“It means a lot,” said 40th-ranked Nakashima.

“To be able to be in this position right now, to be clinching that spot, it’s very important for us.”

The US, 32-times tournament winners, most recently in 2007, failed to progress out of the group stage finals last year after defeats to the Netherlands and Finland.

McDonald, ranked 149, has been returning from an injury-plagued season.

“I’m really proud of myself for performing well today and putting the team on the board,” he said.

Later Friday, reigning Davis Cup champions Italy will bid for a second Group A win against Belgium in Bologna with Great Britain and Argentina playing in Group D in Manchester, England.

Carlos Alcaraz’s Spain play France in Group B in Valencia.

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Taylor Fritz fought back to defeat compatriot Frances Tiafoe at the US Open on Friday, becoming the first American man to reach a Grand Slam final in 15 years.

Fritz, the world number 12, won 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and will take on top-ranked Jannik Sinner for the title on Sunday.

“He overwhelmed me at the start and I was freaking out a little,” said 26-year-old Fritz after securing victory with a 16th ace.

“I just told myself to stay in it, hold serve and apply scoreboard pressure.

“I did all I could to stay in it. If I hadn’t have done that I’d regret it forever. In the final, I will come out and give it everything.”

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner earlier became the first Italian man to make the US Open final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Britain’s Jack Draper.

Andy Roddick was the last American to make a men’s singles final at the Slams at Wimbledon in 2009. He was also the last man from the country to capture a Slam title when he won the 2003 US Open.

Tiafoe went into Friday’s match trailing 6-1 in his head-to-head record against his compatriot.

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However, he boasted the more impressive Grand Slam credentials, playing in his second US Open semi-final in his last three appearances.

Taylor Fritz was in unknown territory, having fallen at the quarter-final stage at the Slams on four occasions.

Tiafoe used that greater experience to hit back from 3-0 in the first set to clinch the opener.

Fritz, who had reached the semi-final by defeating fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev in the previous round, was unable to convert a set point in the 10th game of the second set.

He succeeded at the next time of asking to level the match before handing the initiative straight back when Tiafoe broke for 1-0 in the third and held the advantage to retake the lead.

In a match where there were few rallies and little real drama, Fritz levelled again in the 10th game of the fourth set when Tiafoe dumped a lazy drop shot into the net.

That suddenly drained the spirit from Frances Tiafoe as Taylor Fritz raced to victory in a brutally one-sided decider in which his opponent managed just nine points.

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World number one Jannik Sinner reached his first US Open semi-final on Wednesday with a four-set victory over 2021 champion and two-time runner-up Daniil Medvedev.

Sinner, looking to capture his second major of the season after the Australian Open, won 6-2, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 and will take on Britain’s 25th-ranked Jack Draper for a place in the final.

Sinner, 23, is the only top-10 player to make the semi-finals with number 12 Taylor Fritz due to face US compatriot Frances Tiafoe, ranked 20, in Friday’s other last-four duel.

Italy’s Sinner had defeated Medvedev from two sets down to claim the Australian Open title before the Russian gained revenge in another five-setter at Wimbledon.

“It was very tough, I knew it would be very physical,” said Sinner. “It was strange in the first two sets, whoever got the break started to roll.”

Sinner said he was looking forward to facing Draper.

“We are good friends off the court. He’s having an incredible tournament and hasn’t dropped a set.”

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Jannik Sinner swept through the opening set on Wednesday with a couple of breaks as the Russian committed 15 unforced errors to the Italian’s meagre six.

However, fifth-ranked Medvedev flipped the script with a double break of his own to level the quarter-final.

In a to-and-fro battle, Sinner returned the favour by racing through the third set in just 30 minutes.

Daniil Medvedev patiently carved out two break points in the sixth game of the fourth set, both of which were saved.

That allowed Sinner to grab the initiative with the crucial break for 4-3 before going on to seal the victory.

Medvedev had to save 10 of 15 break points in the tie while his dream of making a 10th Slam semi-final was undermined by 57 unforced errors.

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Emma Navarro reached her first Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Paula Badosa whose challenge dramatically collapsed.

The 13th-ranked American, who knocked out defending champion Coco Gauff in the fourth round, triumphed 6-2, 7-5 after trailing 5-1 in the second set.

She will face either second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka or Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen for a place in the final.

“When I got to 5-2, I had an inkling that I’d win in two sets,” said Navarro who had lost in the first round on her only other two appearances at the tournament.

“Semi-finals baby. I’m ready to rock.”

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Emma Navarro, 23, swept through a 29-minute first set with breaks in the second and eighth games as a tense Badosa was undone by 16 unforced errors to the meagre five of her opponent.

The 26-year-old New York-born Spaniard hit back and raced into a 5-1 lead in the second before her game fell apart with Navarro taking the last six games of the match.

Paula Badosa, who was on the brink of retirement due to a back injury just three months ago, finished the semi-final plagued by 35 unforced errors. Navarro had just 15.

If Zheng defeats Sabalenka in her quarter-final later Tuesday, it will set up an intriguing showdown after Navarro blasted the Chinese star following her defeat at the Olympics.

Emma Navarro accused Zheng of being a “cut-throat” and of showing a “lack of respect”.

“They are both big hitters. They will come after me but I’ll be ready,” said the American.

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Novak Djokovic’s latest bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title crashed to a halt on Friday as 28th-ranked Alexei Popyrin knocked the defending champion out of the US Open third round.

One day after third seed Carlos Alcaraz slumped to a shock defeat against 74th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp, 25-year-old Popyrin robbed the tournament of another superstar with a 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory.

Alexei Popyrin handed Novak Djokovic his earliest US Open exit in 18 years and his earliest Grand Slam exit since he fell in the second round of the Australian Open in 2017 — which was also the last year the Serbian great failed to claim a single Grand Slam title.

Although he won the Olympic gold he had long coveted at the Paris Games, an uneven season that included knee surgery saw Djokovic come up empty in the majors.

He had beaten Popyrin in three prior encounters, including at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.

But a career-high 14 double faults — 49 unforced errors total — were too much for Djokovic to overcome.

“It was just an awful match for me,” Djokovic said. “I mean, I tried so many things, and sometimes that’s an issue … you move away from the basics that work. You lose the foundation. You lose the movement, the timing, the rhythm, the tempo, everything, whether it’s a serve or any other shot.”

Popyrin, coming off the biggest title of his career at the Montreal Masters, saved five break points in the sixth game of the match, swinging fearlessly to seize the first two sets.

Djokovic gave himself some breathing room with an early break in the third. Popyrin clawed back only for Djokovic to break him twice more, the Serbian taking full advantage of Popyrin’s mounting errors.

But the Aussie responded in a tense fourth set, saving break points in the second game before breaking again for a 3-2 lead.

He stayed patient as Djokovic saved three break points and when the Serbian double faulted to gift him another Popyrin capitalized with a blistering forehand winner and let out a massive roar.

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Novak Djokovic delivered four double faults in dropping his serve to trail 5-2. He won the next two games, but Popyrin claimed the match with a love game.

“I was waiting for him to kind of step up,” Popyrin said.

“I didn’t want to be one of those moments where Novak kind of stepped up and came back from two sets to love down. It was kind of extra motivation for me not to do that and to win that fourth set.”

Popyrin will next face Frances Tiafoe, who beat fellow American Ben Shelton 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 6-3 in a pulsating afternoon contest on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Tiafoe avenged a quarter-final loss to Shelton in New York last year, withstanding 23 aces with a brilliant return display that saw him muster 21 break points and convert five.

Defending women’s champion Coco Gauff survived late-match drama in a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 victory over Elina Svitolina.

Gauff’s third-set surge had carried her to triple match point at 5-2, but she delivered a pair of double faults and Svitolina saved another with a blazing backhand on the way to a break.

But Gauff broke Svitolina at love in the next game to lock up the win.

Gauff next faces fellow American Emma Navarro, who upset her in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Navarro beat Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

All the drama on Ashe Stadium meant second-seeded Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka didn’t get underway on the cavernous court that seats nearly 24,000 until eight minutes past midnight — the latest start to a match in US Open history by eight minutes.

She took it in stride, and after a slow start wrapped up a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova at 1:48am.

Men’s fourth seed Alexander Zverev started earlier but labored later on Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he beat Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-3 in a match that ended at 2:35am — the second latest US Open finish ever.

World number six Andrey Rublev of Russia beat Czech Jiri Lehecka 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 and eighth-seeded Norwegian Casper Ruud rallied from two sets down to beat 19-year-old Shang Juncheng of China 6-7 (1/7), 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-1.

Seventh-seeded Olympic gold medallist Zheng Qinwen of China, who rallied from a set down in each of her first two matches, dispatched Germany’s Jule Niemeier 6-2, 6-1.

Zheng next faces Croatian Donna Vekic in a rematch of the Paris Olympics gold medal match.

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Spanish superstar Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the US Open by Dutch world number 74 Botic van de Zandschulp in a seismic second-round upset on Thursday.

World number three and 2022 champion Alcaraz lost 6-1, 7-5, 6-4, ending his bid to become only the third man in the modern era to win the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in the same season.

Alcaraz had made at least the quarter-finals in his three previous appearances in New York and Thursday’s defeat was his earliest at a Grand Slam since a second-round exit at Wimbledon in 2021.

“I’m a little lost for words,” said van de Zandschulp after only his second career win over a top five player.

“It was an incredible evening out here in my first time in the night session on Arthur Ashe. I had some unbelievable points at the net.

“I tried to stay calm. You have to keep your head against these guys otherwise they will take advantage.”

Alcaraz, who had needed four sets to see off Australian qualifier Li Tu in the first round, appeared on court with his left thigh heavily strapped.

That proved the least of his problems as he dropped serve twice in the opening set, failing to hit a single winner against his 28-year-old opponent, who made the quarter-finals on his debut in 2021.

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Carlos Alcaraz squandered break points in the second game of the second set and the Dutchman made him pay with a break of his own for a 2-1 lead in front of a stunned crowd.

The 2022 champion hit back immediately to level at 2-2 but it was a brief respite from his troubles as his inspired opponent broke again for 6-5 and took the set when Alcaraz fired a service return wide.

The 21-year-old had never had to come back from a two sets deficit in his young career and went into Thursday’s match with a 2-0 head-to-head edge over the Dutchman.

However, he slipped 2-3 down, recovered to 3-3, greeting the rare chink of light with a wide grin, but was then broken again in the ninth game.

Botic van de Zandschulp was not to be denied and claimed victory when Alcaraz fired his 27th and final unforced error of the contest.

He becomes the first Dutchman to defeat a top three player at a Grand Slam since Richard Krajicek beat number one Pete Sampras in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 1996.

He is the first from his country to achieve it at the US Open since his coach Paul Haarhuis knocked out Boris Becker in the third round in 1991.

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Defending champion Novak Djokovic racked up his 90th win at the US Open on Wednesday by defeating Serb compatriot Laslo Djere who retired in the third set of their second-round clash.

Djokovic, a four-time champion at the tournament and seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title, was leading 6-4, 6-4, 2-0 when Djere called it quits.

The world 109, who pushed his countryman to five sets in New York last year, had required a medical time-out to treat an injury just before dropping the second set.

The 37-year-old Djokovic had himself required a visit from the trainer for what appeared to be a side strain after sealing the first set.

World number two Djokovic is now the only man to have won 90 matches at all four Grand Slams.

“It’s not what we want to see when there’s a retirement. Laslo had an injury which took him off the tour for some time and he’s been struggling to come back,” said Djokovic.

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“He’s such a good player in these conditions and the second set should have been his, he was 4-2 up.

“I don’t know if (my) winning the second set probably put more burden on him.”

Djokovic will next meet Australia’s Alexei Popyrin who he defeated at the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year with both matches going to four sets.

Popyrin is in a rich vein of form having won the prestigious Montreal Masters on the eve of the US Open.

“He’s getting closer and closer and knocking on the door,” said Djokovic of the world number 28 who has made the last 32 in New York for a third time.

“We always knew he had the big serve but now he is more consistent, making fewer errors than he used to. He’s pumped and playing some good tennis.”

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