Jannik Sinner triumphed over Daniil Medvedev to secure a semifinal matchup against Novak Djokovic, while Carlos Alcaraz will face Rafael Nadal in the other semifinal at Saudi Arabia’s “Six Kings Slam” exhibition tournament.
RIYADH, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz both claimed victories, advancing to the semifinals of Saudi Arabia’s “Six Kings Slam” exhibition tournament on Wednesday night in Riyadh.
Sinner squared off against former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, meeting him again after their recent quarterfinal encounter at the Shanghai Masters.
The Italian quickly established control, breaking Medvedev’s serve early and winning the first set 6-0.
Although Medvedev attempted a comeback in the second set, Sinner’s strong play secured him a 6-3 victory. Sinner will now take on Serbian star Novak Djokovic in the semifinals on Thursday.
After the match, Sinner expressed his enthusiasm for competing in Saudi Arabia, stating, “We are very happy to be here. Hopefully, we can promote tennis in this beautiful country.
Novak and I know each other well; we just played in Shanghai recently. It’s going to be an interesting match, but our main goal is to showcase great tennis.”
In the second match, Alcaraz faced Denmark’s Holger Rune. The players held serve through the first eight games, with Alcaraz securing a vital break in the ninth game to win the first set 6-4.
He broke Rune’s serve early in the second set, maintaining his lead to win 6-2 and clinch the match. Alcaraz will compete against fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the semifinals.
Nadal recently announced plans to retire from professional tennis after the Davis Cup finals in November. Reflecting on his upcoming match against Nadal, Alcaraz shared his mixed feelings.
“Knowing that he’s retiring from tennis is hard for everyone, including me. I don’t know if it’s a privilege to play him again or if it will be tough. I’ll try to enjoy sharing the court with him once more, but it’s challenging for everyone,” he remarked.
The “Six Kings Slam” exhibition tournament, taking place on October 16, 17, and 19, is a significant part of Saudi Arabia’s “Riyadh Season” this year. Six top tennis players are participating, with the winner set to receive a grand prize of 6 millionU.S. dollars.