Alcaraz storms into semis; Gauff keeps title hopes alive at China Open

World number one Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the semi-finals of the Japan Open on Sunday with a commanding 6-2 6-4 win over American Brandon Nakashima, while Danish third seed Holger Rune was sent packing by Jenson Brooksby.

Alcaraz, who overcame an injury scare in his straight-sets win over Argentine Sebastian Baez in Thursday’s opener, showed scintillating form to dispatch Nakashima for his 65th win of the season, thumping 39 winners in the one-hour 20-minute contest.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, fresh from reclaiming top spot in the world rankings after clinching his sixth Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open earlier this month, next faces Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud.

Earlier, Ruud blazed past Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic with a clinical 6-3 6-2 win.

“These kind of matches help to keep my confidence really, really high. I played some great tennis,” Alcaraz said.

“It’s great to go through, to play another semi-final. It’s special, because it’s the first time I’m playing in Japan, here in Tokyo. To reach the semis in my first appearance is something great.”

The biggest upset of the day came in Rune’s 6-3 6-3 loss to American Brooksby, ranked 86th in the world.

“Once I get on a roll from a couple of matches, I just think I’m really able to get into my zone. I think that’s one of my big strengths,” Brooksby said.

“I thought I had a pretty good plan on him coming out here. I had never played him before, but I think that’s good maybe, someone who hasn’t faced my unique skills, I guess.

“I had a good rhythm from the first two matches and thought I was playing really good tennis, and I think I just stayed a little bit more consistent today.”

Wimbledon semi-finalist Taylor Fritz overcame a second-set blip to beat Sebastian Korda 6-3 6-7(5) 6-3 in an all-American clash.

Second seed Fritz, who is set to climb to fourth in the ATP rankings on Monday, overtaking Novak Djokovic, will take on Brooksby in the semis.

Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev sent off racket snapper Corentin Moutet on Sunday for a quarter-final date with Daniil Medvedev at the China Open as Coco Gauff kept her title defence hopes alive.

The world number three from Germany kept his calm to beat the Frenchman 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 to set up a 21st Tour meeting with his Russian rival.

“I’m looking forward to the quarter-finals and playing my good friend Daniil,” Zverev said after the match.

Zverev held on in the first set to get the better of an angry Moutet, whose racket met its end against the 26-year-old’s leg.

The world no. 37 triumphed in set two, littering the court with short shots to make Zverev run, but it was the German who cleaned up shop.

Earlier, on Sunday 29-year-old Medvedev put away Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-3 in an hour-and-a-half without much fuss.

And Lorenzo Musetti apologised on court for an outburst at coughing fans earlier in the tournament. Fans booed when the 23-year-old Italian entered the court for his match and some were making loud guttural coughing noises.

“I totally understand your point and I... regret what I’ve said and what I’ve done, so sorry, thanks for understanding,” he said in English after beating France’s Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-3 to move into the quarter-finals.

The on-court interviewer, however, did not translate his apology into Chinese for the fans, only relaying Musetti’s brief comments about the match.

In the women’s draw, defending champion Gauff powered through a tough examination by Leylah Fernandez, battling through 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to keep her hopes of winning back-to-back China Opens alive. Gauff looked in control in the first set but the gritty Fernandez hit back in the second to force a decider.

The 25th-ranked Canadian survived a match point to level at 5-5 but Gauff finally clinched the 2hr 45min marathon when Fernandez netted.

The world number three next plays Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic for a place in the quarter-finals.

Also in the women’s event Germany’s Eva Lys stunned world number 10 and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina 6-3, 1-6, 6-4.

Agence France-Presse