Sinner defeats Medvedev to claim Beijing crown

Jannik Sinner won his third title of the season and ninth overall with a 7-6(2) 7-6(2) victory over second seed Daniil Medvedev in the final of the China Open on Wednesday.

Sinner had lost to Medvedev in their previous six meetings, including two earlier this season in the finals of Rotterdam and Miami, but the Italian kept up with him and won the first set in a tiebreak.

Both players delivered brutal blows from the baseline and raced through their service games in the second set, before Sinner, 22, raised his game in the tiebreak to complete a memorable victory in Beijing.

"It means a lot," Sinner said of his win which followed a victory over number two Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals. "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." "I had to overcome some tough challenges and I'm very proud of myself, how I handled the situations. It has been awesome."

Sinner will become the second Italian in ATP rankings history (since 1973) to break into the top five when the latest list is released, matching Adriano Panatta's ranking of four in August 1976.

SportsLigue