BEIJING: Jannik Sinner said holding his nerve in “important moments” was the key to edging out world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in Wednesday’s China Open men’s final, which turned on a pair of high-stakes tiebreaks in Beijing.
The Italian triumphed 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/2) in an otherwise deadlocked match to claim the first such tournament since 2019 after Beijing ditched tight pandemic-era health restrictions.
Neither man was able to break the other’s serve but Sinner missed a presentable opportunity in the first set when he walloped an overhead volley long on break point and allowed the Russian to hold from deuce.
It was a different story in the tiebreak, with the world No. 7 racing into a 5-0 lead and sealing the deal when Medvedev struck a forehand into the net.