Jannik Sinner brushed aside the ongoing controversy surrounding his steroid case and a fervent home crowd to secure a spot in the China Open final against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday. The top-ranked player and defending champion overcame the 96th-ranked Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), preventing a significant upset. The Italian is set to face Spanish second seed Alcaraz, who showcased impressive form in a 7-5, 6-3 win over Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev in the other semifinal.
"It's a very delicate moment, very difficult, very different," Sinner remarked after extending his winning streak to 15 matches, despite the off-court headlines. "So every victory for me is a great sign." In front of a packed stadium on China's national day, US Open champion Sinner was up against a player he had never faced before, and who was competing in the biggest match of his career. China's 22-year-old Bu, who had reached the semifinals in Hangzhou the previous week, put Sinner under pressure early in the first set, but the Italian managed to fend off the threat, and the storm gradually subsided as the set progressed.
They went to a tie-break in the second set, with Sinner sealing the match with his 11th ace, converting his third match point after just over two hours. Sinner, 23, has won more matches on tour this season than any other player, despite failing two doping tests in March. He was cleared of wrongdoing after explaining that trace amounts of a banned steroid unintentionally entered his system from a physiotherapist who used a spray containing it to treat a cut, followed by massage and sports therapy. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has since appealed the decision, seeking a ban of up to two years, causing Sinner sleepless nights.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz reached his first Beijing final and is in formidable form, having 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 his 16th ATP Tour title, which would match Sinner's tally. "I felt great on the court once again, so I'm really happy about it. I think I couldn't ask for a better semifinal." Sinner and 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 continued her remarkable run, advancing to the quarterfinals. Her 6-4, 6-2 victory over Magdalena Frech marked her fourth win in Beijing, all in straight sets, after coming into the event following a 24-match losing streak. The 35-year-old Zhang, a former two-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist plagued by injury, nearly quit singles tennis before the tournament. "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." Zhang, the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage of the China Open, will face Spain's 19th-ranked Paula Badosa in the last eight. Badosa eliminated US Open finalist Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0, making the second-seeded American the biggest casualty so far.
