World No. 1 Jannik Sinner powered past Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete on Tuesday to secure his place in the China Open final, where he will face Carlos Alcaraz.
In a tense semi-final match, Sinner defeated Bu 6-3, 7-6 (7/3). The Italian managed to overcome a determined opponent and a vocal home crowd in Beijing, staying focused despite the lingering controversy over his doping case.
Bu, ranked 96th in the world, was in top form, having recently reached the semi-finals in Hangzhou. He put pressure on Sinner early on, particularly on the Italian’s serve, but Sinner’s experience and composure allowed him to hold his ground.
Sinner, the defending champion, sealed his victory with an ace in the second-set tie break, converting his third match point to secure the win after two hours of play. He now faces Alcaraz, the second seed from Spain, who overcame Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3 in the other semi-final.
Sinner’s path to the final has been shadowed by a doping case dating back to March. Although he was cleared of wrongdoing after testing positive for a banned steroid, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision and is seeking a suspension of up to two years. Sinner has acknowledged that the case has been weighing heavily on him.
The final between Sinner and Alcaraz will be held on Wednesday, with both players in top form.
