BEIJING (Reuters) -Jannik Sinner was back to his best in a 6-2 6-2 victory over American teenager Learner Tien in Wednesday’s China Open final, as the world number two picked up his third title of the year and 21st tour-level trophy overall.
Carlos Alcaraz’s Japan Open title on Tuesday and Sinner’s triumph marked the first time since 2020 that the world number one and two both claimed trophies in the same week after Novak Djokovic (Dubai) and Rafa Nadal (Acapulco) managed the feat.
“It’s a very, very special place for me,” Sinner said during the trophy presentation in Beijing.
“My team, thanks for understanding and working with me. Not all the team is here, hopefully the rest are watching from home. We’ll try to improve and push for more and see what the rest of the season looks like.
“But I’m very happy to share this (trophy) with all of you.”
The four-times Grand Slam champion came into the title match at the National Tennis Centre after a hard-fought semi-final win over Alex de Minaur on Tuesday, during which he struggled with physical problems caused by a stomach bug.
SOLID THROUGHOUT
There were no signs of discomfort in his first meeting with 19-year-old Tien, however, as Sinner settled into the match with a break in the opening game and looked solid throughout to take the first set with a hold in the final game.
Tien, playing in his first final and bidding to become the youngest American ATP Tour champion since Andy Roddick in 2002, twice earned break points in the second set but Sinner fended them off and built a 4-2 lead.
The 2023 champion sealed the win on his third match point to became the second man to claim multiple trophies at the ATP 500 event after Djokovic (2009-10, 2012-15).
“You’ve shown throughout the whole season what a talent you are,” Sinner told Tien.
“Keep going. You’re playing incredible tennis. I wish you all the best for the rest of the season and obviously for your whole career … hopefully we can share more moments like this in the future.”
Sinner will next compete in the Shanghai Masters beginning this week while his main rival Alcaraz recovers from injury.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Ros Russell)
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