Carlos Alcaraz secures his 12th semifinal appearance of the season, advancing to the China Open’s last four with a commanding win over Casper Ruud. The 20-year-old delivered 30 winners against his Norwegian opponent and broke him four times, enhancing his prospects of finishing the year as the world No.1. Alcaraz expressed his satisfaction, stating, ‘To defeat a player of Casper’s caliber in straight sets is truly commendable. Such victories provide a significant boost in confidence.
Carlos Alcaraz eased into his 12th semi-final of the season with a convincing straight-sets win over seventh seed Casper Ruud at the China Open in Beijing.
The Spaniard’s hopes of finishing the year as world No.1 have increased with his 61st tour-level win this year and a 12th semi-final.
The 20-year-old, who came through 6-4 6-2, will take on Jannik Sinner in the semi-final as he eyes his seventh title of the season.
“I am very happy,” Alcaraz said. “To be able to beat a player like Casper in straight sets is really good. It means you are playing well.
“It is really tough, big rallies at the beginning of the match, but I am really happy with the level.
“Being able to find solutions after the start of the first set. These kind of matches give you extra confidence.”
Alcaraz struck 30 winners against Ruud and broke the Norwegian four times in a dominant display that was concluded in one hour and 45 minutes.
The Wimbledon champion has already beaten Lorenzo Musetti and Yannick Hanfmann in China.
Elsewhere, Sinner beat Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 3-6 6-2 to set up a last-four clash on Diamond Court with Alcaraz on Tuesday.
The Italian had already seen off Brit Dan Evans in three sets in the first round, before cruising past Yoshihito Nishioka to reach the last right.
In the opposing semifinal, Alexander Zverev is set to face Daniil Medvedev, creating an exciting final four showdown.