Alcaraz cruises to win, Zhang extends fairytale

US Open runner-up Pegula survives a scare against Kudermetova

BEIJING:

Carlos Alcaraz barrelled into the China Open quarter-finals on Sunday in just 56 minutes as 595th-ranked Zhang Shuai extended her historic run.

Rain in Beijing played havoc with the schedule but four-time Grand Slam champion Alcaraz made rapid progress under the roof of the Diamond Court with a 6-1, 6-2 demolition of Tallon Griekspoor.

The 39th-ranked Dutchman looked shellshocked.

Alcaraz, the second seed behind Jannik Sinner, faces seventh-seeded Karen Khachanov next after an ominous showing of intent from the 21-year-old Spaniard.

The Russian Khachanov booked his place with a hard-fought 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (11/9) victory over Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.

In the only other match completed on the day in the men's draw, Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete pulled off a shock 6-2, 6-4 win over Italian sixth seed Lorenzo Musetti.

There was home joy too in the women's draw as another Chinese wildcard, Zhang Shuai, reached the last 16 to add another chapter to her fairytale tournament.

The 35-year-old had not won a singles match in more than 600 days when she arrived at the prestigious WTA 1000 event last week.

The two-time Grand Slam singles quarter-finalist, who has been plagued by injuries, has now won three matches in a row after a 6-2, 6-3 defeat of Belgium's Greet Minnen.

Zhang, who faced Minnen as the lowest-ranked player to reach the China Open third round in the tournament's history, faces Poland's 23rd seed Magdalena Frech next.

Zhang hails from Tianjin, near Beijing, and said she felt very much at home on the hard courts of the Chinese capital.

So at home in fact that she compared herself jokingly to the Spanish great Rafael Nadal on his favourite surface of the French Open.

"When I am on the court I feel so like Rafa Nadal on Court Philippe-Chatrier," she laughed.

US Open runner-up Jessica Pegula survived a scare to set up a meeting with Spain's Paula Badosa.

The second seed from the United States fought back to beat Russia's Veronika Kudermetova 6-7 (9/11), 6-1, 6-2.

The 30-year-old Pegula is chasing a seventh WTA Tour title.

The 19th-ranked Badosa booked her place with a straight-sets win over Slovakian qualifier Rebecca Sramkova.

The top women's seed in Beijing is Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated Pegula in New York earlier this month for her third Grand Slam crown.

World number one Iga Swiatek is not in Beijing because of "personal matters".

Rune comes back from brink to reach Japan Open semis

Denmark's Holger Rune fought back from a match point down to reach the Japan Open semi-finals after beating Kei Nishikori 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Sunday.

Rune, the number six seed, came back from the brink to win four straight games and end the Japanese veteran's challenge in front of a lively crowd in Tokyo.

Nishikori, 34, has been plagued by injuries and he returned to Grand Slam competition at the French Open in May after an absence of almost three years.

He has been in inspired form this week in Tokyo and took control of the match early against Rune.

France's Ugo Humbert also advanced to the semi-finals after his British opponent Jack Draper retired early in the second set.

The 22-year-old Draper earlier this month became the first British man to reach the US Open semi-finals since Andy Murray won the title 12 years ago.

He was looking to build on his success in Tokyo but he needed medical treatment on his upper body late in a first set that Humbert won 7-5.

The Frenchman was leading 2-1 in the second when Draper signalled that he could not continue.

Draper had not dropped serve in two matches heading into the quarter-finals in Tokyo but Humbert broke him three times in a hard-fought first set.

Humbert, who is ranked 19th in the world and has won two titles on the ATP tour this year, will face the Czech Republic's Tomas Machac in the semi-finals.

Machac beat American qualifier Alex Michelsen 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 in the day's first quarter-final.