Sinner plays Alcaraz in the China Open final and Osaka is out with a back injury

BEIJING — Top seed Jannik Sinner will face rival Carlos Alcaraz in the China Open final after recording a 6-3, 7-6 (3) victory over home favorite Bu Yunchaokete on Tuesday.

Sinner and Alcaraz won all four Grand Slam titles this year. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head series 5-4 – including wins in both meetings this year – but Sinner doesn't believe recent history will have an impact on Wednesday's final.

“We know each other very well now, but every game is different, so the situation on the pitch is a little different than in the last two games,” said Sinner.

The 23-year-old Italian is the defending champion and did not appear to be distracted by the World Anti-Doping Agency's announcement on Saturday that it is seeking a one- to two-year ban for the US Open champion, who tested positive twice was tested for an anabolic steroid in March.

Chinese wildcard player Yunchaokete, ranked 96th, failed to capitalize on any of his three break point chances in the first set.

Sinner's experience proved crucial in the crucial moments, particularly in the second set tiebreak where he took a 6-1 lead.

The previously third-placed Alcaraz's athleticism was on display again as he moved into the final with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Daniil Medvedev.

“I felt great on the court again, so I'm really happy about that,” Alcaraz said. “I couldn’t ask for a better semi-final.”

The four-time Grand Slam winner – including this year's French Open and Wimbledon – extended his direct record against the Russian to 6:2.

The 21-year-old Spaniard found his way through a difficult first set that featured five breaks of serve, but crucially it was Alcaraz's third break of serve in the 12th game that secured the set.

Alcaraz has now won eight straight matches – in the Davis Cup, Laver Cup and Beijing – since his loss to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round of the US Open.

Coco Gauff reached the quarterfinals when Naomi Osaka retired 3-6, 6-4 with a lower back injury.

Osaka, a four-time major champion, led 4-3 in the second set before Gauff won three straight games.

The sixth-ranked Gauff then helped carry Osaka's bags off the field.

Gauff hit six aces compared to Osaka's one and improved to 3-2 against her opponent in WTA tournaments.

She will next face No. 115 seed Yuliia Starodubtseva, who previously beat No. 14 seed Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 6-0.

Paula Badosa won 11 of the last 12 matches with a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula to reach her eighth career quarterfinal at a WTA 1000 event.

“She is one of the players I never want to play against – she is very solid, hits very flat, changes direction very well,” said Badosa, who previously lost 0-3 to Pegula. “I was preparing for a fight, but I think everything went pretty well today.”

Badosa next faces 35-year-old Chinese player Zhang Shuai, who continued her resurgence with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Magdalena Frech of Poland.

Zhang entered the China Open on a 24-game losing streak and was ranked No. 595, but has yet to lose a set in four games this week.

Zhang is now in the quarterfinals of the women's tour for the first time since Tokyo in 2022 and for the first time in a WTA 1000 tournament since Cincinnati in the same year.

“In this draw, everyone has a higher rank than me,” Zhang said. “Just step on the court, just play. So I don't have to think about it and prepare much. I’m just going to focus on myself.”

Arthur Fils secured a championship point, beating Ugo Humbert 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-3 in the Japan Open final to secure his third tour title.

He won the championship point in the tiebreak of the second set against his French compatriot.

The 20-year-old Fils struggled with a left leg injury for most of the second set and when he was down 4-3 in the second set – with three break points for his opponent – it seemed almost certain that Humbert would go on to win seventh final in seven participations.

Fils defeated four top 20 opponents on his way to the title – US Open finalist Taylor Fritz, defending champion Ben Shelton, Holger Rune and Humbert.

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AP Tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis