Carlos Alcaraz pulled off a stunning comeback to prevail over World No.1 Jannik Sinner in the China Open 2024 final. The Spaniard triumphed over Jinner 6-7(6) 6-4 7-6(3) in the ATP 500 final on Wednesday (2 October) to win his fourth title of the year in what was the longest match in tournament history.
Alcaraz let slip a break lead in both the first and third sets but reeled off seven straight points from 0-3 in the deciding-set tie-break to prevail in an absorbing three-hour, 21-minute encounter.
Despite struggling in most parts of the match, Sinner recovered from a 2-5 deficit and moved ahead by winning the tie-break. Alcaraz had made a confident start and shot a series of winners in Capital Group Diamond court in Beijing.
Then came the turning point in the match. Alcaraz was under severe pressure on serve at 3-4 in the second set, but bagged a 14-minute game in which he fended off two Sinner break points. He went on to break serve himself in the very next game and, after levelling the match at one set all, Alcaraz built on his momentum by opening an early 3-1 lead in the decider. Alcaraz came back from the brink of losing the match in the third set.
“He could [have won] in two, I could win in two, he could win in three. It was a really close match,” said Alcaraz. “Jannik, once again, he showed that he’s the best player in the world, at least for me. The level that he’s playing, it’s unbelievable. It’s a really high quality of tennis. Of shots, physically, mentally, he’s a beast.”
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Carlos Alcaraz-Jannik Sinner Rivalry
This was the third encounter of 2024 between the top two players, with Alcaraz winning the previous meetings and entering Wednesday’s final with a 5-4 head-to-head lead and continued his perfect year against his great rival. Alcaraz won against Sinner 6-4 after winning all three of their encounters this season at the Indian Wells, Roland Garros, Beijing. This also marks the first time that either man has won three matches in a row against the other.
The China Open 2024 was the first clash between the pair in an ATP final in two years. They have since met at five semi-finals including a five-set thriller won by Alcaraz at the French Open earlier this year.
With his title run on the hard-courts of Beijing, Alcaraz became the first player to win an ATP 500 crown on all three surfaces (hard, clay and grass) in series history (since 2009).
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Victory for Alcaraz against Sinner also reduced the Spaniard’s deficit to the Italian in the race for ATP Year-End No. 1. However, the world number two is still 2,820 points shy of first-placed Sinner.
Sinner entered the tournament with the US Open 2024 title, where Alcaraz faced a shock second-round exit. Both of them will now feature at the Shanghai Masters 2024.
Also Read: Shanghai Masters 2024: Preview To The ATP Masters 1000 Event
