Carlos Alcaraz boosted his hopes of finishing ATP Year-End No. 1 for a second consecutive year on Monday when he downed Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-2 to reach his 12th semifinal of the season at the China Open.
With his win, Alcaraz set a last-four clash against Jannik Sinner. The 20-year-old is currently 635 points behind first-placed Novak Djokovic in the ATP Live Race To Turin but can move to within 415 points with the title.
The Spaniard became the first player to earn 60 tour-level wins this season when he defeated Lorenzo Musetti in the second round and quickly moved to 61 with an aggressive display against Ruud, ATP Tour reports.
The top seed recovered from falling 0-3 behind in the first set, hitting with too much power and intensity for Ruud, who was seeking his first win against Alcaraz in his fourth attempt. He struck 30 winners against Ruud and broke the seventh seed’s serve four times to advance after one hour and 45 minutes.