Jannik Sinner secured his place in the quarter-finals in Beijing after a determined performance against Roman Safiullin, while Aryna Sabalenka continued her impressive winning streak and Jack Draper made it to the doubles semi-finals in Japan.
Sinner achieved his second consecutive comeback win in Beijing, defeating Roman Safiullin 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. This victory ensures that Sinner maintains his record of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every tour-level event he has entered in 2024.
While Sinner was competing, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it was appealing the decision to clear him of doping allegations. Sinner had tested positive twice for the anabolic steroid clostebol in March. However, an independent tribunal cleared him in August, determining he was not at fault. Sinner expressed his surprise at WADA’s appeal, with his fate now set to be decided by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
Next for Sinner is a match against Jiri Lehecka, who overcame Roberto Bautista Agut with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-1. In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the third round by defeating Thai qualifier Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-4, 6-1. Sabalenka acknowledged her initial struggle with rhythm but noted an improvement in the second set, attributing it to better quality play.
Next up for Sabalenka is American player Ashlyn Krueger, who recently defeated Lulu Sun from New Zealand 6-1, 7-6 (7-4). In another notable performance, Olympic gold medallist Qinwen Zheng advanced to the third round after a decisive 6-1, 6-1 victory over Kamilla Rakhimova, backed by a crowd of 15,000 in Beijing. Zheng commented on the incredible atmosphere and the support she received, marking a significant return to her home crowd.
In Japan, Tomas Machac upset fifth seed Tommy Paul with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory to reach the quarter-finals, continuing a trend of top-seeded players exiting early in Tokyo. Machac then teamed up with Jack Draper in doubles, where the pair progressed to the semi-finals after defeating French duo Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul 5-7, 6-2, 10-8. Draper will return to singles action against Ugo Humbert for a place in the semi-finals.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev also advanced, defeating Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. He will next face Flavio Cobolli, who eliminated Pavel Kotov 6-4, 6-2. The tennis action continues with high anticipation for the upcoming matches.
The latest developments in tennis highlight the resilience and skill of players such as Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, amidst ongoing challenges and thrilling matches. The upcoming games promise to deliver more excitement and high-level performance.
