Carlos Alcaraz to face Daniil Medvedev in China Open tennis last four

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 No 3 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.

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.

Osaka to face Gauff

Naomi Osaka is braced for a “battle” after setting up a clash Monday with Coco Gauff in the last 16 while top seed Aryna Sabalenka also marched on.

Osaka defeated 60th-ranked American Katie Volynets 6-3, 6-2 and next faces Gauff in a showdown of former US Open champions in Beijing.

World No 2 Sabalenka swatted aside Ashlyn Krueger 6-2, 6-2 for her 14th victory in a row and plays another American in 24th-ranked Madison Keys.

Looking ahead to the Gauff meeting, four-time Grand Slam champion Osaka said: “She’s very athletic obviously. For me, my strongest traits are being aggressive and also my serve.

“So it’s definitely going to be a battle — who wants to take control of the point first? And I think it’s going to be me.”

Former No 1 Osaka is playing her first tournament under Patrick Mouratoglou, the Frenchman best known for being the long-time former coach of Serena Williams.

The 26-year-old Japanese won four majors from 2018 to 2021 — the US Open and Australian Open, both twice.

She is also a former winner in Beijing and has said she feels at home on the hard courts of the Chinese capital.

Osaka has struggled for consistency since returning to tennis in January after the birth of her daughter Shai and is ranked 73rd in the world.

Her best results after becoming a parent have been two quarter-final appearances.

The 2023 New York champion Gauff booked her place in the last 16 with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Britain’s Katie Boulter.

The 20-year-old American Gauff is seeded fourth.

She and Osaka have played four times previously, each winning twice. Their last meeting was in 2022 at San Jose when Gauff prevailed 6-4, 6-4.

Current US Open champion Sabalenka was error-prone in winning her opening match in Beijing against Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew in straight sets.

But the Belarusian was on top form from the start against 68th-ranked Krueger.

The 26-year-old feels she is not quite playing the best tennis of her career, but said, “Control over my emotions, that’s the key”.

“Before it felt like if I’m not going to win this match, something bad is going to happen. I’m going to die,” she explained.

“Nowadays I’m just working hard, I’m trying to improve myself every day. Every time I’m on the court, I’m trying to give my best. If you give your best but you didn’t win the match, it’s okay.”

Sabalenka will take some stopping. Fourteen of her 16 titles have come on hard courts and only Iga Swiatek has won more matches on tour this season.

Top-ranked Swiatek is not in Beijing because of “personal matters”.