Beijing
Alcaraz flies in Beijing to reach 200 victories in his career
The Spaniard will face Khachanov in the quarterfinals
September 29, 2024
Shi Tang/Getty Images
By ATP Editorial in Spanish
Carlos Alcaraz has become synonymous with success on the ATP Tour. The Spaniard signed the 200th victory of his career this Sunday, defeating the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals of the China Open. At 21 years old, the Murcian continues to chart a sporting career at breakneck speed, where more and more signs of precocity are within reach of his hands.
The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings only needed 57 minutes of pure solidity to resolve his second match in the Chinese capital. On a rainy day, Alcaraz adjusted to the covered conditions of the Diamond Court to win all the points played with his first serve (23/23) and touch victory without conceding a single break point. Carlos sealed the match, winning more than half of the points from the return.
“I feel very happy about it, 200 victories is a great number,” said Alcaraz about his latest achievement. “But I’m already looking forward to reaching 300. I just want to keep improving and moving forward. I want to play more games and keep doing the things I do.”
The happiness of a special moment ☺️
That’s how I enjoyed it 🇪🇸 @carlosalcaraz after sealing victory No. 2⃣0⃣0⃣ of his career.@ChinaOpen | #ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/zETZYmK7bi
— ATP Tour in Spanish (@ATPTour_ES) September 29, 2024
After playing a starring role last weekend in the Laver Cup, leading Team Europe on a decisive lead to the title in Berlin, Carlos maintains an ascending line of play on the Asian tour. The Spaniard will seek a place in the semifinals at the Beijing ATP 500 for the second consecutive season, placing the trophy in the Asian giant in the center of the target.
The Murcian will play the quarterfinals against the seventh seed Karen Khachanov, winner 7-6(4), 7-6(9) over the Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo in one of the closest matches of the day. Alcaraz dominates Khachanov 3-0 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head history, in a rivalry entirely developed on clay.
Alcaraz is looking for his fourth title of the 2024 season this week. With a balance of 45-9, the Spaniard can expand the size of his showcase, to which this year he added the ATP Masters 1000 cup in Indian Wells and the Roland Garros titles. and Wimbledon, becoming the youngest player in the Open Era to conquer the clay of Paris and the grass of London in the same season.
The Spaniard maintains options to finish the season as ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for the second time in his career (2022). Currently ranked No. 3 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, the Spaniard was placed this Sunday just five points behind the second place held by the German Alexander Zverev. The year’s classification is led by the Italian Jannik Sinner, who could cross paths with the Murcian in a hypothetical final of the China Open.
Additionally, Bu Yunchaokete advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 6-4 in the first match of the day. This Sunday, the world No. 96 became the second Chinese player capable of reaching the quarterfinals in the history of the China Open in individual mode, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Zhang Ze (2012) on the courts of Beijing.
Did you know that…?
Carlos Alcaraz aspires to become the second Spanish player to win the China Open individual title. The Murcian can follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Rafael Nadal (2005, 2017) on the courts of the Chinese ATP 500, where figures such as Tommy Robredo (2007) and David Ferrer (2010) also managed to climb to the final of the tournament.
Source: https://www.atptour.com/es/news/pekin-2024-domingo-alcaraz-griekspoor