Zverev sets up Djokovic quarter-final at China Open

BEIJING: Big-serving Alexander Zverev trounced home hopeful Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 at the China Open on Saturday to set up a quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic.

The German top seed needed just 55 minutes to brush aside the Chinese wildcard, ranked 250th, firing nine aces along the way.

"Happy with the win," the world's second-ranked player said, adding that his 21-year-old opponent had been "dangerous" and had "nothing to lose."

"Looking forward to the next couple of weeks," Zverev said ahead of his tie with Djokovic – who has never lost a match in Beijing – on Sunday.

Zverev's cruise into the next round comes as he trains his sights on the number-one spot currently held by Jannik Sinner.

The Italian won in Beijing last year but is not there this time around. He said on Saturday that he would not play at next week's Shanghai Masters either.

"I think it's no secret that it's a goal, for sure," Zverev told reporters when asked about the battle for No. 1.

"I know what I'm playing for. I know I'm very, very motivated to play at the moment. But again, I have a tough challenge tomorrow, and that's my focus," he said.

Also in the men's draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev eased into the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff to play Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.

Alex de Minaur, seeded fifth, and Andrey Rublev both needed three sets to advance and will play each other in the last eight.

In the women's draw, world No.1 Elena Rybakina could not regroup and fell to 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in the second round.

The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan was playing her first match since seizing the top ranking on her US Open win in New York, but Armenia's Charaeva triumphed 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a clinical comeback.

"I don't have words," said 24-year-old Charaeva, who is making her Beijing debut.

Charaeva faces Briton Sonay Kartal in the third round.

World No.4 Coco Gauff kept her composure to beat Camila Osorio 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-2, overcoming shaky serving to survive the second round.

She next faces Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, ranked 582, who beat Spain's Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 7-5.

Sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina and former champion Iga Swiatek, seeded eighth, also went through. - AFP