In Tokyo, highest-ranked competitor Carlos Alcaraz secured a berth in the Japan Open semifinals when Denis Shapovalov withdrew mid-match suffering from a hip ailment. The titleholder was leading 7-6 (7-4) 2-1 when his Canadian adversary conceded the contest. This triumph prolongs a successful return for the young Spaniard following a four-month absence caused by a wrist injury.
Despite losing serve thrice during the opening stanza, the Spanish star praised his resilience, stating, “It was a little bit frustrating with my serve. I couldn’t find a good way of serving: I was struggling almost every game on serve,” before adding, “But I’m just happy with the way I came back after every break. It was a great first set: Great points, great rallies.” Expressing sympathy over the sudden stoppage, he remarked, “It’s a shame that he had to pull out. Going through to a semi-final like this is not the way I wanted, but sometimes sports are tough.” He concluded by offering good wishes for his opponent’s recovery: “You have to accept it. Hopefully he’s going to be able to play in Shanghai healthy.” Up next for Alcaraz is an all-Spanish semifinal clash against fellow countryman and qualifier Jaume Munar, who ousted French athlete Kyrian Jacquet 6-4 6-2.
Meanwhile at the China Open, fifth seed Mirra Andreeva comfortably punched her ticket to the fourth round by dismissing Polina Kudermetova 6-4 6-1. The reigning French Open champion delivered six aces and converted five out of seven break opportunities, dismantling her Uzbek opponent in merely 68 minutes. Earlier in the day on Sunday, Austria’s 24-year-old player Sinja Kraus earned her own spot in the next stage by dispatching Dayana Yastremska 6-1 6-4.
Kraus will square off against 20-year-old Czech athlete Nikola Bartunkova, who pulled off a stunning 6-4 6-3 upset over world No 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Seeded 26th, Bartunkova capitalized on five missed break chances from the four-time Grand Slam champion, a 28-year-old Belarusian who was thwarted by Elena Rybakina in last month’s US Open final and has never advanced past the quarterfinals in Beijing. Sabalenka’s early exit came just twenty-four hours after world No 1 Rybakina suffered her own unexpected defeat on Saturday. Consequently, the WTA 1000 tournament in the Chinese capital lost both of its top two seeds during the initial week of competition.
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