BEIJING - Carlos Alcaraz rallied from a set down and held his nerve in a deciding tiebreak to beat defending champion Jannik Sinner 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) in the China Open final on Oct 2 and win his fourth title of the season.
French Open and Wimbledon champion Alcaraz, who won both of his previous meetings with Sinner in 2024, recovered from a slow start to wrap up victory in 3hr 21min, improving his head-to-head record with the Italian to 6-4.
While the stage might not have been as grand as it was in some of their recent encounters, Sinner and Alcaraz pushed each other to the limit in the latest chapter of the burgeoning rivalry that has taken the ATP Tour by storm.
"He could have won in two, I could have won in two, it was a really close match," the 21-year-old Alcaraz said after winning his 16th title.
"Jannik once again showed that he's the best player in the world, with the level that he's playing.
"It is unbelievable, it's a really high quality of tennis, physically, mentally, he's a beast.
Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin October 03, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Straits Times dergisinin October 03, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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