Alcaraz, Medvedev Untroubled in 1st Round at China Open

Tennis - ATP 500 - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 29, 2023. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in action during his first round match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Tennis - ATP 500 - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 29, 2023. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in action during his first round match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany. REUTERS/Florence Lo
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Alcaraz, Medvedev Untroubled in 1st Round at China Open

Tennis - ATP 500 - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 29, 2023. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in action during his first round match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany. REUTERS/Florence Lo
Tennis - ATP 500 - China Open - National Tennis Center, Beijing, China - September 29, 2023. Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in action during his first round match against Yannick Hanfmann of Germany. REUTERS/Florence Lo

Second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz made a comfortable debut in China on Friday with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over qualifier Yannick Hanfmann in the first round of the China Open.

In his first competitive match since the semifinals of the US Open, the Spaniard traded breaks early before taking control.

"I’m really happy to be able to win this match in straight sets,” The Associated Press quoted Alcaraz as saying. “I tried to be really focused on every part of my game. I have to improve a little bit so I’m really happy to do it and have another chance to be better in the next round.”

Alcaraz will next face Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.

Third-ranked Daniil Medvedev defeated Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-1. The US Open finalist made only three unforced errors in his first visit to China in four years.

“I played great. The start of the match was not easy, but it’s never easy first round, especially in another part of the world," Medvedev said. “Then I was playing better and better during the match, so I’m happy about my level.”

The Russian will next face Alex de Minaur on Saturday.

Third-seeded Holger Rune, fifth-seeded Andriy Rublev, sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner, seventh-seeded Casper Ruud and eighth-seeded Alexander Zverev also won, while fourth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas was eliminated.



Osaka Earns First Grass Win of the Season with Victory over Qualifier Danilovic

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
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Osaka Earns First Grass Win of the Season with Victory over Qualifier Danilovic

Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Japan's Naomi Osaka returns the ball to Russia's Ludmilla Samsonova during the Berlin WTA tennis tournament in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka fired 16 aces past Serbian qualifier Olga Danilovic to earn a 7-6(6) 7-6(4) victory at the Bad Homburg Open on Monday for her first win on grass this season less than a week before the start of Wimbledon.

The 27-year-old Japanese player, who had lost in the first round at her last two tournaments -- the French Open and the Berlin Open -- had won her first title in May in almost two years following a maternity break.

Osaka, who had reached the third round of the Australian Open in January before retiring injured, has not had back-to-back wins on any surface since the Italian Open in May. She is currently ranked 56th in the world.

"It's my first grasscourt win of the year," Reuters quoted Osaka as saying. "I am excited about that. I am super excited to play here and be back for my next round."

Asked whether she was on track to improve her form on the surface, she said: "I hope so. I think I have potential but everyone is really good so I cannot take it for granted."

The pair held serve to take the first set into a tiebreak where Osaka snatched it on her second set point.

Osaka was 40-0 up on her opponent's serve at 2-2 in the second set but she could not bag the first break of either player in the match, with Danilovic holding serve with her eighth ace of the match.

Osaka, however, got the mini-break she needed in the tiebreak when she challenged a Danilovic first serve that was then ruled out, with the qualifier then double-faulting.

She held on to that slim advantage to earn a spot in the round of 16 where she will face fifth-seed Emma Navarro.

Russian eighth-seed Ekaterina Alexandrova also eased into the next round with a 6-1 6-2 win over Swiss Belinda Bencic.

Croatia's Donna Vekic made equally light work of sixth seed southpaw Diana Shnaider for a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Clara Tauson of Denmark needed to work harder and battle from a set down before snatching a 6-7(6) 6-3 6-3 against Poland's Magdalena Frech.