Alcaraz cruises into China Open quarter-finals as Zhang Shuai continues her fairy tale
Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the China Open quarter-finals on Sunday, defeating Tallon Griekspoor in just 56 minutes. The four-time Grand Slam champion dispatched the 39th-ranked Dutchman with a 6-1, 6-2 victory under the roof of the Diamond Court, earning his 200th tour-level win.
“I just want to keep going, to keep getting more and more wins,” Alcaraz said after the match. The 21-year-old Spaniard, seeded second behind Jannik Sinner, is set to face seventh seed Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz admitted he hadn’t felt his best in recent tournaments but said, “Right now I feel ready, I feel good. I feel like my tennis came again.”
Meanwhile, Khachanov secured his place in the last eight with a gritty 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (11/9) win over Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.
In a surprise result, Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete pulled off an upset, defeating Italy’s sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 6-4 to advance.
In the women’s draw, 35-year-old Chinese wildcard Zhang Shuai extended her remarkable run, advancing to the last 16 with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Belgium’s Greet Minnen. Zhang, ranked 595th in the world, had not won a singles match in over 600 days before arriving at the WTA 1000 event in Beijing. Now, she’s won three consecutive matches, the longest winning streak of her career at this level.
“When I am on the court I feel so like Rafa Nadal on Court Philippe-Chatrier,” Zhang joked after her win, referring to her comfort on the hard courts of Beijing.
Next up for Zhang is Poland’s 23rd seed Magdalena Frech.
US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula overcame a scare to beat Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova 6-7 (9/11), 6-1, 6-2, setting up a clash with Spain’s Paula Badosa. Badosa reached the next round with a straight-sets win over Slovak qualifier Rebecca Sramkova.
Fourth seed Coco Gauff also advanced, defeating Britain’s Katie Boulter 7-5, 6-2. Top seed Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning US Open champion, is favored in the women’s draw, while world number one Iga Swiatek is absent due to “personal matters.”
(Source: AFP)
