Carlos Alcaraz claimed his first Beijing Open title on Wednesday following a memorable 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 victory over his great rival Jannik Sinner. The world's best players battled for three hours and 21 minutes, staying neck and neck from start to finish and delivering another thriller in their growing rivalry.
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Like many times before, Rafael Nadal congratulated his compatriot and the doubles partner, applauding Carlos' skills. World no. 3 fought valiantly against world no. 1, standing two points away from the exit door and trailing 3-0 in the deciding tie break.
Alcaraz stepped in and grabbed the next seven points, cracking six winners and lifting the trophy in style! The defending champion had his chances, overcoming a 5-2 deficit in the opener and saving three set points. The Italian had an opportunity to grab a decisive break at 4-3 in the second set, missing his chances and losing serve in the next one.
Carlos forged another lead in the decider before the Australian Open and the US Open winner bounced back.
Jannik stood two points away from the finish line in the tenth game and had an early advantage in the tie break, squandering it and suffering his first loss in this year's ATP finals.
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Alcaraz dropped serve two times and attacked on the return, generating 15 break chances and seizing three. The four-time Major winner fired 55 winners and 52 unforced errors, rushing to the net and taking charge in the decisive moments of the deciding tie break.
They stayed close to each other in the mid-range and most advanced rallies, and Carlos made the difference with a reliable performance in the shortest exchanges up to four strokes. The Spaniard was off to a great start, although he failed to bring the opener home.
He held in the first game of the clash and cracked a forehand down the line winner in the next one, earning three break points. World no. 1 saved them and held, bypassing the opening scare. Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game and made another push on the return in the next one with a volley winner.
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Rafael Nadal praised Carlos Alcaraz after the Beijing Open title.
Sinner played a wayward backhand, losing serve and falling 3-1 behind. They held at 30 in the next two games, and the Spaniard kept the advantage with a hold at love in game seven for 5-2, marching toward the opener.
However, the Italian prolonged the set with a hold in game eight and made a push on the return in the next one. World no. 1 cracked a return winner and seized a break point after a forced error, delivering a last-minute break and extending the battle.
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They served well in games ten and 11, and Jannik felt the pressure at 5-6, hitting a double fault and facing a set point. The defending champion saved it with a volley winner and held, arranging a tie break. They served well early on before Alcaraz welcomed the rival's forehand error for a mini-break and a 4-3 lead.
The Spaniard hit a powerful backhand in the tenth point, passing his opponent and creating two set points. Jannik denied the first on his serve and landed a deep return on the second, climbing back to 6-6.
Sinner grabbed the 13th point and converted a set point after Alcaraz's wayward shot, stealing the opener in 70 minutes and moving closer to the title defense.
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They struggled behind the second serve in the second set, and Carlos stepped in when it mattered the most, defending two break chances and delivering a late break. They served well in the opening five games, and Jannik reached a deuce on the return at 3-2.
World no. 3 held without further issues, remaining on the poisitive side and stepping in on the return in the next one. The Spaniard created two break points with a return winner, and the Italian denied them with solid hitting, wrapping up the game and gaining a boost.
The eighth game saw numerous deuces and two break chances for world no. 1, who had an opportunity to overpower his great rival. Unwilling to surrender, Carlos erased them and held, locking the result at 4-4 and sending the pressure to the other side.
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The four-time Major winner defended superbly in the ninth game and received a backhand mistake from his rival for two break points. Sinner played a wayward forehand on the second, losing serve and propelling his opponent 5-4 in front.
Alcaraz served for the set in game ten and clinched it at love with a booming serve, leveling the overall score after two hours and eight minutes of entertaining tennis. The Spaniard used this momentum and outplayed the Italian in the first part of the decider, missing an opportunity to provide a double break and seal the deal without drama.
World no. 3 created three break chances in the third game and caused the rival's error on the third, forging the advantage and moving closer to the finish line. Carlos held at 15 in the fourth game and created two break chances at 3-1, eager to break the world no.
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1's resistance. Not giving up that easily, Jannik denied them and held, remaining within one break deficit.
Alcaraz delivered another fine hold in the sixth game, keeping the strings of the set in his hands.
However, the Italian stepped in on the return in the eighth game and pulled the break back after the opponent's mistakes, locking the result at 4-4 and arranging a thriller. The younger player served to stay in the match in game ten and stood two points away from defeat two times.
He stayed composed and held with an unreturned serve, prolonging the battle. The defending champion played against a break point in the 11th game, saving it with a service winner and holding for another advantage.
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Carlos hit a smash winner in the 12th game, sending the encounter into a deciding tie break.
Sinner made a reliable start, landing a drop shot winner in the second point and extending the gap with a sharp return in the next one. Like a true champion, Alcaraz embraced all-or-nothing shots and took charge in the rest of the tie break.
The Spaniard reduced the deficit with two crafty volley winners and locked the result at 3-3 with an unreturned serve. Carlos added another volley winner to his tally, rattling off four points and moving in front. World no. 3 punched a forehand winner in the eighth point for 5-3, providing a boost and riding on it.
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Alcaraz earned three match points after the rival's mistake and sealed the deal with another booming forehand winner, dethroning world no. 1 and celebrating his first Beijing Open title in style.
