World number seven Jannik Sinner delivered a clinical performance to record a straight-set victory over top seed Carlos Alcaraz, advancing to his fifth championship match on tour this season in Beijing on Tuesday.
Sixth seed Jannik Sinner once again showcased his relentless spirit and top-class tennis to overcome former world number one Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(4), 6-1 after one hour and 55 minutes for the second time this season, fourth overall.
In his on-court interview, he assessed the top semifinal contest, outlining: “For sure in the very top [of the big matches I’ve played]. I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, and we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits.”
Addressing his performance against the World No. 2, he added: “Today, I played a little bit better in the important moments. In the second set, it was 6-1, but he had a lot of chances, and I just tried to stay focused.
“Obviously, the first set was a little more of a roller coaster, and I tried to stay there mentally; I’m very happy with the performance.”
After punching his ticket into a 12th career final, the 22-year-old Italian will become the highest-ranked ATP player in the history of Italian tennis, moving to a career-high World No. 4, equalling Adriano Panatta.
Sinner took the lead, earning a marathon 72-minute first set tiebreak 7-6(4), in which he recovered from a break down twice, fending off two break points.
In the second set, the eight-time ATP titlist rushed to open the score, breaking Alcaraz to take the early lead.
Determined to leave Diamond Court with a ticket to the final, he saved five break points, extending his advantage to 3-1, forcing his opponent to commit unusual mistakes with his forehand (20), contributing to the Spaniard’s defeat.
The San Candido native marched to earn the four last games, closing out the set 6-1 and the match in nearly two hours.
Overall, Sinner won 72 percent of the first serve points to 60 percent from his adversary.
On Wednesday’s final, in a rematch of their championship clash at the Miami Open last April, the Italian player will face second seed Daniil Medvedev.
Earlier in the day, he outlasted eighth seed Alexander Zverev with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, wrapping up a stunning performance with a brilliant passing shot after 85 minutes.
After the matchup, the 27-year-old commented: “I’m really happy with my level. Roof closed, different conditions today, much faster.”
“Both of us are big servers, so it came down to just a few opportunities, and I managed to serve better when I had break points to save than he did.”
All in all, the Moscow native finished with 20 winners to 13 unforced errors, winning 75 percent of the first serve point and saving two breakpoints in each set.
Medvedev, who has claimed five titles alone this year, four on hard courts, progressed into his eighth tour-level final of the season in his debut at the ATP 500 event.
In their seventh meeting on tour, the World No. 3 will seek to win his 21st career title by beating Sinner, who lifted his first Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto last August.
The former US Open runner-up leads the player mentored by Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill 6-0 in their series, having played one another for the last time in Miami, a tournament the former won in straight sets.
En route to a maiden final in Beijing, Medvedev’s campaign has been almost flawless, dropping just one set in the quarterfinals against Frenchman Ugo Humbert on Monday.
He opened proceedings against American Tommy Paul, moving on to edge Australian Alex de Minaur before he clashed with Humbert and Zverev.