Carlos Alcaraz fought through a nail‑biting first‑set tiebreak to clinch his place in the Japan Open quarter‑finals, defeating Matteo Arnaldi 7‑6 (8‑6), 6‑1 on Saturday. The Spanish teenager, currently ranked world No. 3, displayed resilience after trailing 2‑5 in the tiebreak, saving four set points before turning the tide and taking the opening set. With that momentum, he dominated the second set, breaking Arnaldi twice to seal a convincing victory.
After the win, Alcaraz will meet Canada’s Denis Shapovalov, the world No. 46, who advanced after a three‑set battle against Alejandro Tabilo, winning 7‑5, 3‑6, 6‑4. "I just tried to stay there, point after point," Alcaraz reflected after the match. "I changed how I played until that moment and it worked out.
I'm just happy I got that first set. Matteo was playing great." The Japan Open continues to produce exciting storylines. In another Tokyo match, Czech hopeful Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to defeat France’s Ugo Humbert 5‑7, 6‑4, 6‑4, earning a quarter‑final showdown with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, who had eliminated Italy’s Matteo Berrettini earlier in the tournament.
Over in Beijing at the China Open, former US Open champion Alexander Zverev set up a marquee quarter‑final clash with Novak Djokovic after cruising past wildcard Juncheng Shang 6‑0, 6‑3. Zverev’s powerful baseline game and aggressive serving left little doubt about his form heading into the later stages.
Australian rising star Alex de Minaur, who suffered a second‑round exit at the US Open, bounced back with a three‑set win over France’s Quentin Halys, securing a last‑eight meeting with Russia’s Andrey Rublev. Both players are locked in a tight race for the coveted ATP Finals spots in Turin, making every match a critical point‑gathering opportunity. Rublev, who had just survived a second‑set comeback from Roman Safiullin to win 6‑2, 3‑6, 6‑4, will now test de Minaur’s consistency. Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev breezed through a straight‑sets victory over Jan‑Lennard Struff, positioning himself for a potential semifinal against the winner of the Francisco Cerúndolo versus Jakub Mensik encounter.
On the women’s side, after a three‑week hiatus following her semi‑final loss to Elena Rybakina at the US Open, American star Coco Gauff returned to competition at the China Open. She edged world No. 66 Camila Osorio 7‑6 (7‑4), 4‑6, 6‑2, surviving a tense first‑set tiebreak and a brief dip in the second set where she was broken at 4‑5.
Osorio fought valiantly, saving two match points in the final game, but Gauff’s experience saw her through to a quarter‑final clash with China’s Xinran Sun. British contender Harriet Dart started brightly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the opening set, but could not sustain the intensity, eventually falling 2‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3.
In contrast, fellow Briton Sonay Kartal advanced comfortably, beating China’s top‑ranked Xinyu Wang 6‑3, 6‑2, and now eyes a possible encounter with Rybakina should she overcome Alina Charaeva in the next round. Former world No.
1 Iga Świątek, fresh from a last‑16 exit at the US Open, returned to form in Beijing, converting five break points to dispatch China’s Xinyu Gao 6‑2, 6‑3. Her aggressive forehand and tactical variety left Gao with little chance to mount a comeback. Elina Svitolina, battling back from a set down, displayed tenacity against Czech Katerina Siniakova, overturning a 1‑6 deficit to win 1‑6, 6‑4, 6‑2 and secure her spot in the following round.
The match highlighted Svitolina’s ability to adjust mid‑match, employing deeper slices and higher net approaches to disrupt Siniakova’s rhythm. Fans can stream the ongoing action without a contract via NOW or the Sky Sports app, which offers live coverage of the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. The tournaments showcase a blend of seasoned champions and emerging talent, each vying for crucial ranking points, prize money, and the prestige of advancing deep into the Asian swing of the tour.
Overall, the Japan and China Opens have delivered a mix of dramatic comebacks, tight tiebreaks, and dominant performances. With the ATP Finals looming, players like Alcaraz, Shapovalov, Zverev, Djokovic, Rublev, and de Minaur are all pushing hard to solidify their positions. Meanwhile, the women’s draw features compelling narratives, from Gauff’s return to form to Świątek’s resurgence, ensuring that the Asian leg of the season remains a pivotal chapter in the 2024 tennis calendar.