Now for another hundred, says Alcaraz after 200th win
Carlos Alcaraz cruised past Tallon Griekspoor 6-1 6-2 at the China Open to post his his 200th tour-level victory.
The victory sent Alcaraz to the quarter-finals, and made him the third player born in this century to achieve the 200-win feat along with Jannik Sinner and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
“I’m really happy about it, 200 wins is a great number,” the 21-year-old Alcaraz said after Sunday’s win in Beijing.
“But I am already looking for the third hundred. I just want to keep going, to keep rolling. I am looking forward to playing matches and to keep doing the things that I am doing.”
Seventh-seeded Karen Khachanov made 15 fewer winners and four more unforced errors than Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, but found a way to win the big points in a 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (11-9) victory to take him through to the quarter-finals and a match-up against Alcaraz.
Alcaraz needs to make at least the semif-inals this week to rise above Alexander Zverev to No.2 in the world rankings. Zverev is not playing in Beijing as he recovers from an illness.
Local favourite Bu Yunchaokete upset Paris Olympics bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-4 for the 22-year-old’s first victory against a top 20-player.
The 96th-ranked Bu now plays fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev or Alejando Davidovich Fokina.
Sixth-seeded Holger Rune of Denmark beat home favourite Kei Nishikori 3-6 6-2 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Japan Open, and Arthur Fils of France eliminated defending champion Ben Shelton 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2).
Tomas Machac was the first man through to the semi-finals in Tokyo with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-3 victory over American qualifier Alex Michelsen. Machac had eight aces and broke Michelsen’s serve twice as he advanced in 95 minutes.
Machac will take on Ugo Humbert in the semi-finals after the Frenchman won by walkover against Jack Draper of Britain.
Humbert was leading Draper 7-5 2-1 when the US Open semi-finalist retired from the match because he was unable to continue.
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