Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Daniil Medvedev all secured victories in their opening matches at the China Open, an ATP 500 event held at the China National Tennis Centre in Beijing.
The first round at any tournament is never easy, and playing against him is very tough. But I am happy about the performance and how I ended the match.” Jannik Sinner
Defending champion Sinner faced challenges against Nicolas Jarry but managed to advance with a score of 4-6 6-3 6-1.
“He played good tennis,” Sinner, with a season record of 56-5, said. “In the first set, I was struggling to return his serve, and he broke me. I just tried to stay there mentally. The first round at any tournament is never easy, and playing against him is very tough. But I am happy about the performance and how I ended the match.”
Sinner made 11 unforced errors but delivered several impressive baseline passes to counter Jarry’s net approaches.
“The first serve was good, but the second I have to improve a little,” Sinner admitted. “He was returning aggressively, so it is not easy. After the US Open, we tried to work very hard to change a few things, but I am happy with my progress.”
Alcaraz, on the other hand, had a smooth victory against Giovanni Mpetshi Petticano, winning 6-4 6-4, but did face some issues with the umpire.
Petticano tried to disrupt Alcaraz’s rhythm with power but failed to convert break points, while Alcaraz capitalized on the opportunities presented to him.
However, the second seed showed frustration when the umpire gave him two time violations in the opening set.
Carlos Alcaraz received two time violations
(Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
Alcaraz expressed his frustration, stating, “This is not tennis.”
“I’m always very quick; I never get warnings,” he pointed out. “You gave me two in one set. It’s impossible to play tennis like this.”
Medvedev, last year’s finalist, comfortably defeated Gael Monfils 6-3 6-4 to become the eighth player to reach 40 wins in 2024.
“I think the gameplan didn’t change too much throughout the match,” said Medvedev. “In a way, we both only really like to attack.
“I guess me maybe a bit more than him, but I think for him it is tough to attack. He defends very well. You have to be a really good attacker, like one of the best, or you need to wait for the opportunity.
“The more I stay in China, the more matches I play. Let’s make it a goal. One new phrase a match. If I win the next match, I’ll say something. If I lose, well no phrases.”
Daniil Medvedev was beaten in the final last year
(Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
Adrian Mannarino celebrated his 300th match win on the tour by defeating Lorenao Musetti 1-6 6-2 6-3. Mannarino will now face Medvedev in the next round.
On the flip side, two seeded players lost their opening matches. Eighth seed Alexander Bublik fell to Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 4-6 6-1 7-6(4), and seventh seed Karen Khachanov was defeated by Roberto Carballes Baena, a Spanish Lucky Loser, with a score of 6-3 6-4.
