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Jannik Sinner produced a determined display to win his third title of the year and ninth overall with a 7-6 (2), 7-6 (2) victory over second-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the final of the China Open on Wednesday.
Sinner came into the clash having lost to Medvedev in their previous six meetings, including two earlier this season in the finals of Rotterdam and Miami, but kept pace with his opponent before sealing the first set via tiebreak.
“Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match,” Sinner joked during the trophy ceremony. “We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you.”
Both players struck brutal blows from the baseline and raced through their service games in the next set before Sinner, 22, raised his level again in the tiebreak to take the title.
Along with his trademark clean groundstrokes, Sinner relied on his serve, winning more than 70% of his second-serve points and attacking from the net.
“It means a lot,” said Sinner, who defeated world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals. “A lot of work. I felt like I was prepared for this match today. I’ve lost many times against him. It feels great especially when you beat a player you’ve never won against, and this was a positive week.”
Sinner will become the second Italian player in the history of ATP rankings (since 1973) to break into the top five when the latest list is released. He will match Adriano Panatta’s ranking of No. 4, which was achieved in August 1976.
Medvedev came into Wednesday’s final looking for his 21st career title and sixth of 2023. His next stop will be the Shanghai Masters, where he is seeded second.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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