Carlos Alcaraz eases into China Open semi-finals beating Casper Ruud in straight sets
Carlos Alcaraz progressed to his 12th semi-final appearance of the season after defeating Casper Ruud in the China Open; top-seeded Spaniard recovered from falling a break behind in the first set before he overpowered his opponent with 30 winners to advance.
Tuesday 3 October 2023 07:07, UK
Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz eased to his 12th semi-final appearance of the season with a 6-4 6-2 win over seventh-seeded Casper Ruud at the China Open.
The top-seeded Spaniard recovered from falling a break behind in the first set before he overpowered Ruud with 30 winners and four breaks of serve to advance.
"To be able to beat a player like Casper in straight sets is really good," Alcaraz said.
"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." he added.
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The 20-year-old will face Italian Jannik Sinner in the last four after the sixth-seed overcame Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 6-4 3-6 6-2.
In the other semi-final, world number three Daniil Medvedev will take on eighth seed Alexander Zverev.
If Alcaraz and Medvedev were to meet in the final, it would be a repeat of the US Open semi-final that saw the 27-year-old end the Spaniard's run at Flushing Meadows.
