BEIJING: Four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz will face last year’s runner-up Daniil Medvedev in the China Open semi-finals after both rolled through in straight sets on Monday.
Spanish second seed Alcaraz emerged from a tense first set to defeat Russian seventh seed Karen Khachanov 7-5, 6-2 in Beijing.
Serving at 4-4 in the first set, Khachanov eventually held after a gruelling game in which both players gave up multiple game points when Alcaraz put his forehand long.
It was to be only a temporary reprieve.
The 21-year-old Alcaraz had the Russian under pressure once again at 5-5 and this time the world number three made no mistake, grabbing the break and then holding his own serve to go a set up.
Alcaraz, who recorded his 200th tour-level win on Sunday, broke for 3-2 on the way to winning a more comfortable second set.
The Russian third seed Medvedev, who lost last year’s final to Jannik Sinner, beat unseeded Italian Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 6-4 in his quarter-final.
Carlos Alcaraz, Medvedev win Beijing openers as Zhang scores big upset
Alcaraz and 2021 US Open champion Medvedev have met seven times before with the Spaniard winning five of their meetings, most recently in the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Alcaraz went on to beat Novak Djokovic in the final and retain his title.
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