BEIJING (AP) — Alex de Minaur reached the final of the China Open after Hubert Hurkacz retired due to an injury during their semifinal match on Monday. De Minaur was leading 6-4, 3-2 when Hurkacz, struggling to move effectively, decided to stop playing. The specifics of Hurkacz’s injury have not been disclosed.
Read More
De Minaur is currently ranked ninth in the ATP Finals qualifying rankings. In the upcoming final, he will face either Novak Djokovic, a six-time champion, or Daniil Medvedev, who were set to compete later in the day. This match will mark the first encounter between the 39-year-old Djokovic and Medvedev since Djokovic's victory in the 2023 U.S. Open final. Djokovic had previously defeated Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinals.
In the women's tournament, six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek progressed to the third round by overcoming Donna Vekic with scores of 4-6, 7-6 (0), 6-2. Swiatek will compete next against Iva Jovic, who won her match against Kamilla Rakhimova 6-1, 7-5. Elina Svitolina also advanced after defeating Maria Sakkari 6-4, 7-5. Earlier, Coco Gauff faced off against 16-year-old Chinese wild card Sun Xinran, who recently claimed the U.S. Open junior title.
In related news, U.S. Open champion Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the upcoming Wuhan Open due to a foot injury. Rybakina faced a defeat in her first match as the No. 1 ranked player, losing to No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round of the China Open. Rybakina expressed her intention to take time off to rest and recover, as reported by Wuhan Open organizers. Charaeva continued her impressive run by winning against Sonay Kartal with a score of 6-4, 6-1 to reach the last 16.