Text size

Adds Medvedev quotes

Carlos Alcaraz sent Daniil Medvedev packing to reach his first China Open final on Tuesday, while 595th-ranked Zhang Shuai added another chapter to her fairytale renaissance.

Second seed Alcaraz was in good form and won 7-5, 6-3 and will face world number one Jannik Sinner or Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete for the men’s title in Beijing.

Medvedev, the third-seeded Russian, was looking to repeat his run to last year’s title decider, where he was beaten by Italy’s Sinner.

However, he showed signs of frustration at times against the 21-year-old Alcaraz and required treatment on his left leg twice in the second set.

“I think I played really well. If I want to beat Daniil, of course I have to play really good tennis, high quality tennis,” said four-time major champion Alcaraz, who has yet to lose a set.

“I felt great on the pitch again, so I’m really happy about that. I don’t think I could ask for a better semi-final.”

After some first-class tennis, the two players ended up exchanging warm words over the net.

Medvedev said he joked that he should dress up as Botic van de Zandschulp, the unheralded Dutchman who stunned Alcaraz in the second round of the recent US Open.

“Maybe this can help,” Medvedev told reporters.

“Today I played pretty well. I don’t know how I could beat him today.”

Alcaraz wants to secure his 16th ATP Tour title in Wednesday’s final.

In the women’s draw, home hope Zhang – one of the key players in the tournament – reached the quarter-finals and made further history.

Her 6-4, 6-2 win over Magdalena Frech was her fourth win in Beijing and all in straight sets – after losing 24 singles matches in a row.

The barren run, which lasted over 600 days, was the second longest on the WTA Tour in the Open Era, which began in 1968.

Zhang, 35, a former two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist who has been plagued by injuries, said she was close to quitting singles tennis before coming to Beijing.

“I had no idea how to win and I didn’t want to lose again, especially with so many Chinese fans,” she said.

“When I went back to the locker room, I didn’t know whether I should continue before this tournament or not.”

The former top 25 player will face 19th-placed Spaniard Paula Badosa in the quarterfinals.

Zhang is the lowest-ranked player ever to reach this stage of the China Open and struck a defiant pose – a tribute to Kylian Mbappe – after defeating the 31st-ranked Frech in front of a packed crowd on China’s National Day.

Former world number two Badosa defeated US Open finalist Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-0, handing the second-seeded American her biggest loss yet.

Pegula came into the WTA 1000 event as one of the best players on tour and reached the final in New York last month, where she was beaten by Aryna Sabalenka.

Sabalenka is the top seed in the Chinese capital and will play in the round of 16 against the number 18 seed American Madison Keys.

Defending champion and world number one Iga Swiatek is not involved for “personal reasons”.