Third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz showcased his athletic skills again as he moved into the final of the China Open with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday.
“I felt great on the court once again, so I’m really happy about it,” Alcaraz said. “I think I couldn’t ask for a better semifinal.”
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who won the French Open and Wimbledon this year, improved his record against the Russian to 6-2. Alcaraz will face either top-ranked Jannik Sinner or Chinese wild card Bu Yunchaokete in the final, with their match happening later on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old Spaniard navigated a challenging first set that featured five service breaks, with his third break in the 12th game allowing him to take the set.
With the confidence of having won the first set, Alcaraz picked up the pace, and Medvedev struggled to respond as the Spaniard completed the semifinal in 88 minutes.
Alcaraz has now won eight consecutive matches across the Davis Cup, Laver Cup, and in Beijing, following his defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the U.S. Open.
Paula Badosa won 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over U.S. Open finalist Jessica Pegula at the China Open, reaching her eighth career quarterfinal at a WTA 1000 event.
From being down 3-1 in the first set, Badosa, who was ranked No. 2 before, dominated in her first win over third-ranked Pegula.
“She’s one of the players I never want to face — she’s very solid, hits very flat, changes direction very well,” Badosa said, noting her previous 0-3 record against Pegula. “I prepared myself for a battle, but I think today everything worked pretty well.
“Every point was very important for me, especially against Jessica, because she can come back at any moment.”
Next, Badosa will play against 35-year-old Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who continued her strong performance with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech from Poland.
Zhang came into the China Open on a 24-match losing streak and ranked No. 595, but she has not lost a set in four matches this week. This includes her victory over U.S. Open semifinalist Emma Navarro, marking her first win against a Top 10 player in two years.
Zhang has reached her first women’s tour quarterfinal since Tokyo in 2022 and her first at a WTA 1000 event since Cincinnati in the same year.
“In this draw, everyone has a higher ranking than me,” Zhang said. “Just step on court, just play. So I do not have much to think about, to prepare. I will just focus on myself.”
Yuliia Starodubtseva from Ukraine also caused an upset by beating No. 14-ranked Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 6-0.
Starodubtseva, ranked No. 115, will play the winner of the highly anticipated match between four-time major winner Naomi Osaka and sixth-ranked Coco Gauff in the quarterfinals. This will be the first meeting between the two Grand Slam champions in more than two years, and their head-to-head record is tied at 2-2.
