Denis Shapovalov of Canada has exited the Japan Open. The player from Richmond Hill, Ont., was forced to retire from the quarterfinal match due to injury against top-seeded Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, resulting in a walkover victory for Alcaraz in Tokyo on Sunday. At the time of retirement, Alcaraz was leading 7-6 (3), 2-1. Shapovalov managed to convert three out of four break-point opportunities while saving four of Alcaraz’s seven chances. Prior to this, Shapovalov secured a three-set victory against Alejandro Tabilo from Chile.
In another tennis event, Aryna Sabalenka, ranked second, was eliminated in straight sets by the Czech Republic’s Nikola Bartunkova during the China Open. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic continued his unbeaten streak at the tournament by defeating U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 scoreline in the quarterfinals.
Bartunkova, ranked 34th, triumphed over the four-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 in just over 90 minutes, leading to the departure of the top seeds early in the competition. The newly crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina and Sabalenka exited the WTA-1000 event in Beijing. Sabalenka, who faced Rybakina in the U.S. Open last month, lost the match after squandering five break points in the first set, continuing her struggles in Beijing where she has never progressed beyond the quarterfinals.
Looking ahead, Bartunkova is set to play against Sinja Kraus of Austria in the next round, who defeated Dayana Yastremska in straight sets. Additionally, Mirra Andreeva, ranked fifth, advanced to the fourth round with a comfortable 6-4, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova at the China Open.
As for Djokovic, he aims to secure his seventh China Open title and has now extended his winning streak to 32-0 in Beijing, surpassing Rafael Nadal’s record at the French Open. Despite a slow start in the match, Djokovic managed to bounce back after losing the first set and eventually clinched the victory in three sets. Next, Djokovic is scheduled to face Daniil Medvedev in the semifinals.
In other results, Hubert Hurkacz defeated Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2), 6-2, setting up a semifinal match against Alex de Minaur, who overcame Andrey Rublev with a 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
