Carlos Alcaraz fought through a tense opening set, clinching a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 triumph over Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday to secure his place in the Japan Open quarter‑finals. The Spaniard’s victory came after an intense first‑set tiebreak in which he trailed 2-5, saved four set points and ultimately turned the tide to take the set 7-6. Riding the momentum, Alcaraz found a higher gear in the second set, breaking Arnaldi twice and wrapping up the match with a commanding 6-1 finish.
Following the win, Alcaraz will meet world No. 46 Denis Shapovalov in the last eight. Shapovalov earned his quarter‑final berth by defeating Alejandro Tabilo 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 earlier in the Tokyo tournament.
"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 Tokyo event also featured several other notable performances.
Czech teenager Jiri Lehecka rallied from a set down to beat France's Ugo Humbert 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, setting up a quarter‑final showdown with Adolfo Daniel Vallejo Alvarez, who had eliminated Italy's Matteo Berrettini. In Beijing, US Open champion Alexander Zverev advanced to a high‑profile quarter‑final against Novak Djokovic after dispatching wildcard Juncheng Shang 6-0, 6-3. Australian rising star Alex de Minaur, who had suffered a second‑round loss at the US Open, returned to winning form by overcoming France's Quentin Halys in three sets, earning a place in the last eight where he will face Russia's Andrey Rublev.
Both players are eyeing valuable Race to Turin points as they vie for one of the coveted ATP Finals spots. Rublev himself secured his quarter‑final position after a hard‑fought victory over Roman Safiullin, rebounding from a second‑set deficit to win 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev posted a straight‑sets win over Jan‑Lennard Struff, setting up a future clash with the winner of the Francisco Cerúndolo versus Jakub Mensik match.
On the women’s side, after a three‑week hiatus following her semi‑final loss to Elena Rybakina at the US Open, 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 break at 4-5 in the second set and later fending off two match points in the final game of the third set. Gauff’s win will see her face China’s Xinran Sun in the next round.
British player Harriet Dart started strongly against 10th seed Iva Jovic, taking the opening set, but could not sustain the pressure and ultimately fell 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. In another British‑focused match, Sonay Kartal advanced comfortably, beating China’s top‑ranked Xinyu Wang 6-3, 6-2, and could potentially meet Rybakina if she defeats Alina Charaeva. Poland’s Iga Swiatek, fresh from a round‑of‑16 exit at the US Open, returned to the court on Saturday and displayed dominant form, converting five break points to dispatch China’s Xinyu Gao 6-2, 6-3.
Ukrainian veteran Elina Svitolina also fought back from a set down against Czech Katerina Siniakova, turning a 1-6 deficit into a 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory to move into the next round. Fans can stream the ongoing tennis action without a contract via the NOW platform or the Sky Sports app, which carry live coverage of the ATP Japan Open, the WTA/ATP China Open, and the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters. These broadcasts provide high‑definition video and multiple camera angles, ensuring viewers can follow every rally, break point, and match‑turning moment in real time. Overall, the Japan Open continues to deliver compelling storylines, from Alcaraz’s gritty comeback to the emerging battles for ATP Finals qualification.
As the tournament progresses, the field narrows, promising even more intense matchups and opportunities for players to cement their rankings ahead of the season’s final events.