Zverev And De Minaur Advance In Beijing, Aim For Turin's ATP Final Tickets

Alexander Zverev keeps their hopes of qualifying for the final season of the ATP Finals (PHOTO: X @boccardi_marario ·)

JAKARTA Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur have kept their hopes of qualifying for the final tournament of the ATP Finals season in Turin after winning the opening round of the China Open 2025 in Beijing.

Alex de Minaur, who is now ranked eighth in ATP Live Race To Turin, looks convincing by eliminating the hosts Buyunchaokte 6-4, 6-0. This result adds his collection of wins to 32 matches on the hard field this season. The Australian is eyeing his second appearance at the ATP Finals after debuting in 2024.

In the second half, De Minaur will face Arthur Ridendraknech. The 30-year-old Frenchman appeared as a lucky loss after previously losing to David Goffin in qualifying. However, he managed to retaliate by getting rid of Goffin 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the main round.

Meanwhile, Zverev confirmed the move to the next round after beating Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 6-3. This victory extends Sonego's unbeaten record to 6-0 in head-to-head meetings. The two-time ATP Finals champion has now moved up to third in Live Race and will face Corentin Moutet in the second half.

Moutet himself came at a good momentum after eliminating Tallon Griekspoor 6-4, 7-5. The 25-year-old Frenchman is currently ranked the highest in his career, No. 37 in the world, with 26 wins this season.

From other results, the young Czech Jakub Mensik rose to the 18th position of Live Race after beating Miomir Kecmanovic 7-5, 6-4. Despite being 1.115 points behind De Minaur, Mensik is optimistic that he can continue to add points towards the end of the season. He will face Arthur Cazaux, who previously eliminated Shang Juncheng with a score of 0-6, 7-6(5), 7-5.

Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik, who just lifted a trophy in Hangzhou last week, failed to maintain his best form. The Kazakhstan tennis player lost 3-6, 2-6 to Adrian Mannarino in the first half. Statistics show Bublik scored only three aces and failed to convert three break points of his.

Mannario will next face Lorenzo Musetti, who qualified for the second half after defeating Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with a tight score of 7-6(3), 6-7(4), 6-4 in a two-hour 24-minute match. Musetti, who is in seventh position in Live Race, is aiming for his debut at the ATP Finals and is trying to catch up with compatriot Jannik Sinner who has already confirmed his ticket to Turin.