World number 1 Jannik Sinner beat Jiri Lehecka 6-2 7-6 (8-6) in 1 hour and 44 minutes to reach the semifinal of the China Open in Beijing for the second consecutive edition.
Sinner won his 58th match of the 2024 season breaking a tie with Alexander Zverev to lead the ATP Tour wins this season.
Sinner broke twice in the fourth and eighth games and served out the first set 6-2 on his second set point.
Lehechka saved a break point in the eighth game to hold serve for 4-4. Sinner had to save two break points at deuce to hold serve for 6-5. Lehecka earned a second break point as Sinner hit a forehand into the net, but Sinner saved it with an ace. Lehecka held serve in the 12th game to force the match to the tie-break, when Sinner made a forehand error at 6-5 15-30. Sinner earned a mini-break to take a 2-1 lead. Lehecka pulled back on serve to draw level to 2-2. The Czech player earned a second mini-break to take a 5-4 lead. Sinner saved two set points at 4-6 but he rallied by winning four consecutive points to close out the win after 1 hour and 45 minutes. The 2024 Australian Open and US Open champion has won 14 consecutive matches since the start of the 2024 Cincinnati Open. He has claimed 50 consecutive wins against players outside the top 50.
“We always try to improve day by day and I feel the result is coming in what level you are playing throughout the season, how consistent you are as a player. You have to be ready mentally to do that. We just try to stay in the present moment. We know what we have done this season, which is great for me, but every match we see we can improve, which is very good”, said Sinner.
Sinner set up a quarter final match against China’s Yunchakoete Bu 7-5 6-4. Bu earned his first break at love in the 11th game to win the first set 7-5. The home player broke serve in the third game of the second set. Rublev did not convert two break-back points in the eighth and eighth game.
