Beijing — Second seed Daniil Medvedev overcame a midmatch wobble to beat Ugo Humbert 6-4 3-6 6-1 on Monday and move into the China Open semifinals, where he will face Alexander Zverev in their fifth meeting this season.
Medvedev has been a model of consistency on hardcourts this year with titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami. Though the Russian world No 3 was not at his dominant best, he battled past Humbert for his 41st win of 2023 on the surface.
“I’m happy I managed to raise my level in important moments, except a game in the second set,” Medvedev said. “It’s great that I managed to still find in this tough match these moments of consistency, which is enough to win.
“That’s what you have to do. I’m happy to be in the semifinals. When you come to the tournament, you always want to go as far as possible. Happy to still be here tomorrow.”
Chengdu champion Zverev, who is rediscovering his best form after a serious ankle injury in 2022, extended his winning run to seven matches with a 6-1 6-7(5) 6-3 win over Chile’s Nicolas Jarry.
The 10th-ranked German has lost three times to Medvedev in 2023 but flipped the script in their last meeting in Cincinnati.
“It seems like we have to play each other every tournament this year. It’s the fifth time we’re going to play each other,” Zverev said. “Every time we play, it’s a battle.”
Later on Monday, top seed Carlos Alcaraz and Italian Jannik Sinner set up yet another instalment in their blossoming rivalry with quarterfinal wins over Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov.
Alcaraz beat Ruud 6-4 6-2 in straight sets to seal a spot in the semifinal, while Sinner had to dig deep and overcome illness to clinch a 6-4 3-6 6-2 win over Bulgaria’s Dimitrov.
“A very tough evening, the level was really high,” Sinner said in his on-court interview. “I didn’t feel very good, maybe I ate something wrong. At one point I also threw up a little, but I’m happy with how I handled the situation.”
In the women’s tournament, world No 2 Iga Swiatek powered into the second round on her Beijing debut with a 6-4 6-3 victory over Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo. The Pole was particularly effective at the net, winning 15 out of 17 points, and next meets Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva.
US Open winner Coco Gauff roared to victory in her first match as a Grand Slam champion, as the American downed Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-5 6-3.
Fresh from her triumph in Ningbo last week, world No 7 Ons Jabeur eased past 19-year-old Osaka champion Ashlyn Krueger 6-3 6-4.
“It was a great match,” said Jabeur. “I played the next generation. She’s a really good player. She’s going to be one of the top players in the future.”
The Tunisian, who is looking to qualify for the season-ending WTA Finals, plays Marta Kostyuk in the second round.
Reuters
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.