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Agence France-Presse

Reuters

Zheng Qinwen is out of the China Open after being beaten in the semi-finals by Karolina Muchov on Saturday.
Muchova disappointed the 15,000 crowd to beat the subdued Olympic champion 6-3, 6-4. The Czech, the lowest-ranked player to reach the Beijing final since the tournament began in 2004, will play Coco Gauff.
Last year’s French Open finalist, Muchova toppled top seed Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals on Friday. She was fully in control against Paris singles gold medallist Zheng, who suffered a hard fall in the opening set and took a lengthy medical timeout.
Muchova eased through that set and was unrelenting in the second to ram home her advantage. Serving to stay in the tournament, Zheng, 21, dug deep to save two match points in the ninth game, but the reprieve was only very brief.

The 28-year-old Muchova was inside the top 10 this time last year but did not play for nearly 10 months after having wrist surgery.
She is pursuing only the second title of her career. Gauff has won both their previous two meetings, most recently in the US Open semi-finals last year on the way to clinching her first major crown.
Gauff fought back from a set down on Saturday to defeat Spain’s Paula Badosa 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Sixth-ranked Gauff has struggled for form in recent months and split with coach Brad Gilbert after her US Open defence ended in the last 16 in a blur of double-faults. She racked up 11 of those against Badosa, but belatedly found a semblance of top form to down the former world No 2 in two hours, 20 minutes.
With a new coaching set-up in place, Gauff said that she had not really expected to be in the final.
“Has this week been my best tennis? In moments, yes,” said Gauff, 20, the youngest player to reach the China Open decider since Caroline Wozniacki in 2010.
“I think today I reached some levels where I was playing my best tennis. Obviously, that’s not the case for the whole match.”
At the Shanghai Masters, four-time grand slam winner Carlos Alcaraz made short work of China’s Jerry Shang Juncheng, defeating him in straight sets to breeze through to the third round.
Alcaraz broke in the first game and looked comfortable throughout his 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Teenager Shang became only the second Chinese player to win an ATP Tour singles title at the Chengdu Open last month, but he was unable to make much headway against the world No 2.
Despite their enthusiasm for Shang, the crowd couldn’t resist Alcaraz’s charm.
At the Spaniard’s encouragement, they broke into loud cheers when he won a particularly exciting rally in which he hit a tricky backwards shot to keep the point alive.
“I’ve been playing really good tennis lately so I want to just keep going and keep feeling it, keep feeling this good,” Alcaraz said after the match.
“I just had one practice then was straight into this match, so to be able to show this level in the first match, I’m just really proud,” he added.
The Spaniard came into the tournament on a nine-match winning streak, having just won the China Open in Beijing, defeating top-ranked Italian Jannik Sinner in the final.
Sinner on Saturday beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-4.

He has said he is not in a “comfortable” situation thanks to a World Anti-Doping Agency appeal against a decision by tennis authorities to clear him of wrongdoing after he twice tested positive for a steroid in March. His recent blistering winning streak was also broken by Alcaraz in the China Open final on Wednesday.
But there was no tiredness on display on Saturday, with 23-year-old Sinner looking completely unruffled in the first set against the 93rd-ranked Daniel.
Daniel fell behind again in the second and despite rallying halfway through to gently test Sinner, the Italian kept his cool.
“I had only one practice session yesterday but I felt very comfortable on the court,” he said after the match. “Today’s performance means a lot to me.”
Novak Djokovic won 7-6, 7-6 against world No 43 Alex Michelsen of the United States.


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ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals)

China Open: Zheng Qinwen loses in semis after Alcaraz silences Shang in Shanghai Masters

Zheng Qinwen takes a tumble during her semi-final with Karolina Muchova. Photo: Reuters

Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova celebrates winning her semi-final against Zheng Qinwen. Photo: Reuters

Jerry Shang hits a return to Carlos Alcaraz during their match at the Shanghai Masters. Photo: AFP

China Open: Zheng Qinwen in comeback win after Aryna Sabalenka loses to Karolina Muchova

China’s Zheng Qinwen celebrates her victory over Mirra Andreeva of Russia, saying later she had played to only “20-30 per cent of my level”. Photo: Xinhua

Czechia’s Karolina Muchova had also won the previous two meetings with Aryna Sabalenka. Photo: AP

Italy’s Jannik Sinner says he is confident that things will come out “very positively” for him. Photo: AFP

China Open: fairy-tale over for Zhang Shuai, Carlos Alcaraz has no time to celebrate title

After winning every set in the previous rounds, China’s Zhang Shuai finally met her match in Paula Badosa of Spain in the China Open quarter-final. Photo: AP

Paula Badosa of Spain (right) hugs Zhang Shuai after winning their quarter-final in straight sets. Photo: AP

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz rushed straight from winning the China Open in Beijing to the Shanghai Masters. Photo: AFP

Danish sixth seed Clara Tauson will meet Japan’s Nao Hibino in a Hong Kong Tennis 125 quarter-final. Photo: Xinhua

China Open men’s final: Carlos Alcaraz fights back to beat Jannik Sinner in thriller

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates after defeating Jannik Sinner in the China Open final in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Carlos Alcaraz (right) greets runner-up Jannik Sinner during the trophy ceremony. Photo: EPA-EFE

Sport

Tennis

Jannik Sinner wins comfortably in Shanghai, while Karolina Muchova sees off Zheng to set up final against Coco Gauff


Jannik Sinner wins comfortably in Shanghai, while Karolina Muchova sees off Zheng to set up final against Coco Gauff.


WTA (Women's Tennis Association)