Tuesday semi-final victories for each of the top two seeds at the China Open set up a marquee final in Beijing.

Top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek won their second straight Match Tie-break at the ATP 500, edging fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. The Croatian-American duo is seeking its fifth tour-level title of a sensational 2023 season that includes triumphs at Roland Garros and in Monte-Carlo.

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski have yet to drop a set this year in Beijing. The reigning Wimbledon champions continued their dominant run in the Chinese capital with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win against Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.

Wednesday’s final will double as a shootout for first place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Dodig and Krajicek currently have a 160-point lead in their bid to finish the season as the ATP Tour’s No. 1 team.

The two teams have met once before this season, with Dodig/Krajicek winning in the Adelaide 2 semi-finals in January.

Throughout the 2023 season, ATP Uncovered asked players to showcase their tennis knowledge by making predictions for the year. As the campaign nears its conclusion, and the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin heats up, we take a look back to see who made the best picks.

There was plenty of love for Andrey Rublev, who had three backers choose him as a first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion — in addition to himself… sort of.

“Hopefully I can win at least one. Someday, some year, some life,” Rublev told the cameras in what seemed more like a wish than a prediction. Either way, it came true when he won Monte-Carlo.

Rafael Nadal was among three players to correctly predict Jannik Sinner’s first ATP Masters 1000 title. The 22-year-old defeated Alex de Minaur to win the Toronto crown in August, finally picking up a trophy at the prestigious level after defeats in the Miami final in both 2021 and 2023.

Among the other topics: dark horse, Top 10 breakthrough, and surface-specific predictions. Carlos Alcaraz’s grass-court sweep at The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon proved a surprise to many — but not Andy Murray — while one player was brave enough to pick Daniil Medvedev to claim his first clay-court title.

Find out whose risky pick was vindicated by “Mr. Octopus” winning the Rome title in the video below.

Jannik Sinner completed a methodical turnaround against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday in the China Open semi-finals to become the first player to register four tour-level wins against the Spaniard. With a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory, the Italian improves to 4-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head and rises to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up for a new career high.

Sinner will become the second Italian in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to reach the Top 5, joining Adriano Panatta.

Now 5-3 this season in semi-finals, Sinner will meet Daniil Medvedev in Wednesday’s final, when the Italian will bid for his third tour-level singles title of 2023 and his ninth overall. The 22-year-old is 0-6 against Medvedev, including a pair of final defeats this season in Rotterdam and Miami.

Following his second win against Alcaraz in three meetings this season, the Italian talked up the pair’s blossoming Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.

“For sure in the very top [of the big matches I’ve played],” he said of Tuesday’s win. “I would say every match against him is very tough. We always show great respect, we both play great. When we play against each other, we try to stay on our limits.

“Today I played a little bit better in the important moments. In the second set, it was 6-1 but he had a lot of chances and I just tried to stay focussed. And obviously the first set was a little more of a roller coaster and I tried to stay there mentally and obviously I’m very happy with the performance.”

Sinner twice trailed by a break in the opening set and fought off two break points to avoid a disaster 0-3 start in Beijing. From midway through the one-hour, 13-minute set, he began to take control of the match with brilliant directional control from the baseline and what finished as a perfect 15-for-15 mark on net points.

After winning a tie-break in which he never trailed, Sinner broke to open set two and then fought off a combined five break points in consecutive return games to build a 3-1 lead. Those battling holds seemed to break Alcaraz’s spirit, as Sinner rattled off four games in succession to close out the match. The Italian benefitted from 20 forehand unforced errors from Alcaraz, with that wing beginning to show cracks in the opening tie-break.

“I think the execution went really well,” Sinner said of his game plan. “Mostly trying to stay aggressive, because when he has a lot of time he he plays really good and really aggressive.”

Alcaraz had not lost a set en route to the semi-finals. He fell to 9-4 against the Top 10 this season with the defeat.

All three of this season’s Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings between Sinner and Alcaraz have come in semi-finals, with Alcaraz winning in Indian Wells and Sinner triumphing in Miami.

Daniil Medvedev extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage in his longrunning rivalry with Alexander Zverev on Tuesday to advance to China Open final.

With a 6-4, 6-3 victory, Medvedev advanced to his eighth tour-level final of the season. Already owning a personal-best five titles this year, he will seek to add to that tally against Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in Wednesday’s final.

“It’s an amazing, strong field so it’s great to be in the final against one of the amazing Sinner or Alcaraz,” he said post-match.

“I’m really happy with my level. Roof closed, different conditions today, much faster. Both of us are big servers so it came down to just a few opportunities and I managed to serve better when I had break points to save than he did.”

Medvedev improves to 10-7 in his series with Zverev, including a 4-1 mark this season. He has now won five of their past six meetings and nine of their last 11 following an 0-4 start in the Lexus ATP Head2Head. His Beijing victory also served as a measure of revenge after Zverev won their most recent previous meeting in Cincinnati.

In a semi-final filled with lung-busting rallies, Medvedev saved all four break points he faced (two in each set) with strong serving, and he secured a late break in each set to earn the win. The second seed claimed both breaks in style with a pair of clutch passing shots, including on set point in the opening set.

“In a way it’s a lucky shot because you’re not going to make it 10 out of 10. On a good day, maybe five out of 10. But still, you usually don’t hit it maybe twice in a match,” Medvedev said of the shot that sealed the first set.

“I felt that he might go down the line so I just ran for it — and I knew that if I give him the volley from that position then I have no chance, so I had to go for the winner. I made this banana shot which I don’t do that often, so I’m really happy with this one.”

The second seed finished with 20 winners and 13 unforced errors. His unrelenting defence frustrated Zverev, who hit just 10 winners to 20 unforced errors.

Through to his 35th tour-level final, Medvedev is bidding for his 21st title across as many different events. Zverev, who won the Chengdu title last week, saw his seven-match winning streak come to an end as he fell short in his effort to reach his third final of the season (2-0). 

While Medvedev has already clinched his place at the Nitto ATP Finals, Zverev cemented his seventh-place standing in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin with his Beijing semi-final run. He now has a 305-point cushion ahead of the eighth-placed Holger Rune.

Did You Know?
The five Lexus ATPHead2Head meetings this season between Medvedev and Zverev are the most for any opponents.

Adrian Mannarino became the first Frenchman since 2020 to win multiple tour-level titles in one season on Tuesday when he earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback victory against Sebastian Korda in the Astana Open final.

The 35-year-old trailed Korda by a set and a break but rallied, winning five consecutive games to level the match before outlasting the American in the lengthy exchanges in the decider to clinch his fourth tour-level title.

Mannarino, who also triumphed in Newport earlier this year, fell in the Astana title match against John Millman in 2020. He ensured he would not suffer more heartbreak at the ATP 250 event, defeating Korda after two hours and 10 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

“At the beggining of the match I was not feeling my best,” Mannarino said. “I was a little tight. And then when I was down in the second set I started to try and enjoy the match and play with less stress. I tried some tough shots and it worked out pretty well. I got a bit lucky to come back in the second set and then in the third set I was feeling better. I am pretty happy with that match.”

The Frenchman has earned a personal-best 37 tour-level wins this year, surpassing his previous career-high of 33 in 2017. With his latest win, Mannarino has climbed to No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, just one spot off his career-high No. 22.

Korda was aiming to win his first title since Parma in 2021. The American, currently No. 26 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, has now lost all five tour-level finals he has played on hard courts. Earlier this year the 23-year-old held championship point against Novak Djokovic in Adelaide before falling.

Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow continued their standout season together on Tuesday at the Astana Open, where they defeated fourth seeds Mate Pavic and John Peers 7-6(4), 7-6(7) to win their fourth tour-level title of the year.

The Americans won 81 per cent (42/52) of their first-serve points and saved two set points in the second set, eventually advancing on their third match point after one hour and 38 minutes.

With their title run at the ATP 250, the second seeds have boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. Lammons and Withrow are currently eighth in the ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, 158 points ahead of ninth-placed team Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski.

Earlier this year Lammons and Withrow captured titles on hard courts in Atlanta and Winston-Salem and on grass in Newport.

Pavic and Peers were teaming for the first time this week. They advanced to the final without dropping a set but were unable to capitalise on return in the crucial moments against Lammons and Withrow.

Pavic, 30, lifted the trophy with Nikola Mektic in Astana last season. Peers was chasing his second title of 2023 after triumphing with Marcelo Melo in Halle.

Abdullah Shelbayh completed a historic run Sunday, when he became the first player from Jordan to win an ATP Challenger Tour title.

The 19-year-old triumphed at the LTP Challenger in Charleston, South Carolina, where he defeated American wild card Oliver Crawford 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the final. Shelbayh, who is one of four Challenger champions this week, is the youngest player from an Arab country to win a title at that level.

“It’s something special for me to represent Jordan at such tournaments at a high level. Being able to win such a great event is such a big title for me, the biggest of my career so far,” Shelbayh told commentator Mike Cation.

Shelbayh made a breakthrough this February when he made the Manama Challenger final before falling to Thanasi Kokkinakis. The following week, the lefty made his ATP Tour debut in Doha. A 2021 graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Shelbayh hopes to build upon his momentum after capturing his maiden Challenger title.

“I think the main part is physical strength. I feel like my body hasn’t grown fully. As I keep working in the gym with my fitness coach and with time, I think that will help me a lot to improve the skills that I have,” said Shelbayh.

The Charleston Challenger final was a duel between two former University of Florida stars. Crawford, who was competing in his first Challenger final, played college tennis at the University of Florida before turning pro in 2020. Shelbayh played one season for the Gators before turning pro in 2022.

In other Challenger action, Czech Tomas Machac ousted four of the top eight seeds en route to the Co’met Orleans Open title. The 22-year-old overcame eighth seed Jack Draper 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in the final to lift his fifth Challenger title and first of this season.

“I’m super happy that I showed myself that I can be a great player and beat great players,” Machac said. “[In the final], the first set was my best tennis, second set was okay, and the third set was amazing from my head, energy, and everything. I was just fighting and trying to give him my game.”

Tomas Machac wins the Challenger 125 event in Orleans, France.” />
^{Tomas Machac wins the Challenger 125 event in Orleans, France. Credit: Co’met Orleans Open}
Machac, who is at a career-high No. 96 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, ended his three-match skid in Challenger finals while ending Draper’s perfect 4-0 record in Challenger finals.

“I was in the zone and just focussing on myself,” Machac said. “I played the last two games unbelievably physically and mentally.”

Germans Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens collected their season-leading sixth Challenger team title in Orleans, where they survived Henry Patten and John-Patrick Smith 7-6(5), 7-6(12) in the final.

Oriol Roca Batalla was crowned champion at the Braga Open in Portugal, where he rallied past Croatian Duje Ajdukovic 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 in the final. Roca Batalla, 30, is the second-oldest player this year to win his maiden Challenger title, only behind the 31-year-old Arthur Weber, who won in Zhuhai.

Oriol Roca Batalla wins the Challenger 75 event in Braga, Portugal.” />
^{Oriol Roca Batalla wins the Challenger 75 event in Braga, Portugal. Credit: FPT/Sara Falcao}
Competing in his 96th Challenger main draw, the Spaniard Roca Batalla won seven matches in eight days as he went from qualifying to the winners’ circle.

Thiago Agustin Tirante won his second Challenger title of the season at the Directv Open Bogota. In the final, the 22-year-old Argentine, who also won in Morelos, Mexico in April, was given a walkover by Brazil’s Gustavo Heide, who was dealing with a stomach issue.

Thiago Agustin Tirante wins the Challenger 125 event in Bogota.” />
^{Thiago Agustin Tirante wins the Challenger 125 event in Bogota. Credit: Directv Open Bogota}

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski relied on a strong serving performance Monday to advance to the China Open semi-finals.

The Dutch-British duo cruised past Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski 6-2, 6-3 after winning 24 of their 31 first-serve points and saving all six break points faced. Wimbledon champions Koolhof and Skupski, who are second in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, will next meet Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev, who booked their semi-final spot on Sunday.

Fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin survived Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-7(5), 7-6(5), 10-5. The Mexican-French pair will next face top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.

Lammons/Withrow Advance In Astana
Second seeds Nathaniel Lammons and Jackson Withrow overcame Ariel Behar and Adam Pavlasek 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 to reach their eighth tour-level final of the season at the Astana Open.

The Americans Lammons and Withrow have earned three tour-level titles this year and are currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Aiming to boost their Turin hopes, Lammons and Withrow will clash against fourth seeds Mate Pavic and John Peers in the championship match after the Croatian-Australian team downed Robin Haase and Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 6-1 in the last four.