Sinner sweeps teenager Tien to reclaim China Open crown

Beijing, Oct 1 (IANS) Italy's Jannik Sinner clinched his second China Open title on Wednesday, defeating American teenager Learner Tien 6-2, 6-2 in the men's singles final. The top seed and world No. 2 made a flying start on Diamond Court, breaking twice and wrapping up the opening set in just 34 minutes.

Tien, 19, ranked 52nd and playing his first ATP final, raised his level early in the second set, holding firm through the first four games. But Sinner broke in the fifth and seventh games to seize control.

Serving for the championship at 5-2, the 24-year-old Italian converted his third match point to seal the straight-sets win in one hour and 12 minutes.

It was Sinner's third consecutive Beijing final. He triumphed in 2023 by beating Daniil Medvedev in the title match after ousting Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals and finished runner-up to Alcaraz last year, reports Xinhua.

"It is a very, very special place for me," Sinner said during the trophy presentation. "My team, thanks for understanding and working with me. Not all the team is here, so hopefully the rest are watching from home. Thanks for working with me and we will try to improve and push for more and let's see what the rest of the season looks like, but I am very happy to share this (trophy) with all of you."

Tien had made a dream run to the final, advancing past both Lorenzo Musetti and Medvedev after the two retired mid-match, and further underlined his credentials as one of the tour's rising stars.

Earlier, Sinner advanced to his third consecutive China Open final on Tuesday with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory over Australia's Alex de Minaur. The top-seeded Sinner, 24, extended his dominance over De Minaur, improving his head-to-head record to 11-0. The world No. 2 dropped a set to the 26-year-old Australian for the first time since 2020.

American teenager Learner Tien had reached his first career tour-level final in Beijing after Daniil Medvedev retired injured from their semifinal.

--IANS

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