Carlos Alcaraz will be back in action in Beijing when he battles Lorenzi Musetti for a quarterfinal spot on Sunday. Second-round action is also wrapping up with a showdown between Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov.
(1) Carlos Alcaraz vs. Lorenzo Musetti
Alcaraz and Musetti will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers (third time on the main tour) and first away from clay when they clash in round two of the China Open on Sunday. Their first two encounters were competitive; Alcaraz prevailed 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 at the 2020 Trieste Challenger before Musetti pulled off a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 upset in the 2022 Hamburg final. Of course, Alcaraz has soared to the top of the sport since then and their most recent meeting reflected that development. The 20-year-old crushed Musetti 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 at this season’s French Open.
Although Alcaraz has not yet produced a dominant fall swing in the early stages of his career, he should be motivated to do so this time around since the year-end No. 1 ranking is still well within reach. The top seed is off to a strong start in Beijing, having defeated Yannick Hanfmann 6-4, 6-3 on Friday. Musetti opened with a nice win over Karen Khachanov, beating the recent Zhuhai champion 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. The 18th-ranked Italian is also in the midst of an impressive 2023 campaign, but a hard court favors Alcaraz and early returns suggest the Spaniard feels right at home at this tournament.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
(3) Holger Rune vs. Grigor Dimitrov
Rune kicked off his week with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Felix Auger-Aliassime, but the fourth-ranked Dane will have to do a lot more than beat a struggling Canadian to prove that he has returned to peak form. Prior to arriving in Beijing, Rune had not won a match since the Wimbledon fourth round (four-match losing streak) and had not played a match since losing to Roberto Carballes Baena in the U.S. Open first round.
The competition level gets tougher with an in-form Dimitrov on the other side of the net in round two. Dimitrov has won multiple matches at seven of his last eight events and he can make it eight of nine if he prevails on Sunday. The 19th-ranked Bulgarian came close against Rune at Wimbledon this summer (lost 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(4), 6-3) and has a good chance to get over the hump in this Beijing rematch.
Pick: Dimitrov in 3
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Alcatraz in 3; Rune in 3.