Carlos Alcaraz won seven straight points in the ultimate tiebreaker to defeat world No. 1 Jannik Sinner 6-7 (6), 6-4, 7-6 (3) at the China Open on Wednesday to continue his winning streak against the Italian — who is still in turmoil because of a doping affair.
Alcaraz, the world No. 3, has won all three of his matches against Sinner this year, having triumphed in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells Masters and the French Open.
The Spaniard also slowed Sinner’s winning streak to 14 matches, and prevented him from winning a third consecutive title, after those acquired at the Cincinnati Masters and the United States Open.
Sinner, the defending champion in Beijing, had to regain his focus after the World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Saturday that it was contesting the decision to clear him after he tested positive twice for a banned substance.
Alcaraz let a 5-2 lead slip away in the first set, and he also opened the door for a Sinner comeback after taking a 4-2 lead in the third set. He then suffered a 3-0 deficit during the final tiebreaker, before confirming his victory.
Sinner and Alcaraz have shared the four Grand Slam titles this season. Alcaraz now leads the series between them, which is the biggest rivalry in men’s tennis since the 60-match series between Spain’s Rafael Nadal and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, 6-4.
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