China Open: Sinner Crowned Champion in Beijing
Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev in a two set classic in the China Open Final.
Sinner took an early lead against Medvedev with his shot placement, hitting four winners in the first three games. World No. 3 Medvedev took to his dominant serving ability and offensive tactics to hold at one-all. World No. 4 Sinner kept his opponent’s defense at bay through out his second service game to hold the lead.
Through unforced errors, Medvedev found the first breakpoint of the match with the set levelled 2-2. Medvedev later returned the favour saving both breakpoints while down 15-40 to Sinner and trailing the Italian 3-4.
The final in Beijing was a replica of both athletes’ first set in their semifinal matchups. Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz took to a tiebreak to decide the first set, while Medvedev broke Alexander Zverev late in the set to win his first set. Nothing separated the Russian and Italian as the first set was decided by a tiebreak, where Sinner took it 7-2.
Set two was the polar opposite of set one. Medvedev and Sinner dominated service games, giving up only seven receiving points across the first eight games after the Italian held for 4-4. The shot placement of the finalist was a critical representation of how neither of them dropped a game in the second set.
While Sinner and Alcaraz seems to be the rivalry of this younger generation, Medvedev continues to show how relevant and dominant he is on the court. Through their first five service games, both players hit 10 winners. Medvedev converted 76% of his service points through his six services games, while Sinner converted 89% of points on his service games, leading into a second set tiebreak.
The second set tiebreak, yet again, was a dominant performance from Sinner as he defeated Medvedev 7-2 in the second set to earn his first career win over the Russian.
Both players will turn their attention to the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, where Sinner will continue his quest to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin. Novak Djokovic, Alcaraz, and Medvedev are the first three to qualify for this year’s finals.
