Zverev advances to Chengdu Open final. Khachanov downs Dimitrov to reach Zhuhai final
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev will play for a 21st career title after beating third-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the semifinals of the Chengdu Open on Monday.
The 26-year-old German will meet Roman Safiullin in Tuesday's final. The 55th-ranked Russian defeated second-seeded Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4.
Zverev hit 10 winners and four aces in the first set and his serve continued to be effective in the second set.
The 26-year-old Safiullin will be playing in his first career final in his eighth year on tour.
At the Zhuhai Championships, top-seeded Karen Khachanov defeated fourth-seeded Sebastian Korda 7-5, 6-4 to move into the final in his second tournament since returning from injury.
Khachanov will face Yoshihito Nishioka in Tuesday's final. The eighth-seeded Japanese player beat Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 6-4.
In a tight first set, Khachanov gained the crucial break in the 11th game when Korda found the net with a drop shot. The 15th-ranked Russian improved in the second set and dominated the baseline rallies to overpower the 23-year-old American.
On the first day of the Ningbo Open, Russian wild-card Vera Zvonareva upset seveth-seeded Katie Boulter 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3) to advance to the second round.
Zvonareva, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, will next play Clara Tauson, who beat Elina Avanesyan 6-4, 6-1.
Yulia Putintseva, a semifinalist last week at the Guangzhou Open, defeated Daria Saville 6-4, 6-1. The Kazakh will play seconded-seeded Petra Kvitova, who beat Anna-Lena Friedsam 7-6 (2), 6-1.
Fourth-seeded Anna Blinkova beat Viktoria Hruncakova 6-3, 7-5 and eighth-seeded Lucia Bronzetti defeated Swiss qualifier Jil Teichmann 7-6 (6), 6-4.
Also, Linda Fruhvirtova beat Rebeka Masarova 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (retired) and Kateryna Braidl defeated Yuan Yue 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Top-seeded Ons Jabeur and third-seeded Sorana Cirstea will play their first matches on Tuesday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Al Gore calls UAE hosting COP28 'ridiculous,' slams oil CEO appointed to lead climate talks
Climate advocate and former Vice President Al Gore on Sunday called into question the decision to hold the COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates, a leading producer of the world’s oil.
Buckingham Palace releases this year’s Christmas card
Buckingham Palace released an image of the Christmas card that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be sending out this year.
'No one else has done this on the planet': Guilbeault insists emissions cap delay is due to novelty
Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault says the delay in announcing details of his government’s proposed oil and gas sector emissions cap is due to its uniqueness and to wanting to get it right.
Trump dismisses warnings that his victory would threaten democracy and says Biden is the real threat
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday characterized warnings that his victory in 2024 would represent a threat to democracy as a 'hoax' and 'Democrat misinformation.'
In inaugural speech, Argentina's Javier Milei prepares nation for painful shock adjustment
It wasn't the most uplifting of inaugural addresses. Rather, Argentina's newly empowered President Javier Milei presented figures to lay bare the scope of the nation's economic 'emergency,' and sought to prepare the public for a shock adjustment with drastic public spending cuts.
'People are confused': Survey suggests Canadians need education on Charter rights
While one-third of Canadians say they have read the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, many fail to distinguish between its text and that of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, a new survey suggests.
Canada has a secretive history of adoption, and some want it brought to light
In a theatre in St. John's, N.L., a murmur spreads through the audience as people timidly raise their hands. They have been asked if they saw their own stories reflected in the film they just watched -- 'A Quiet Girl.'
Catholic priest in small Nebraska community dies after being attacked in church
A Catholic priest in a small Nebraska community died Sunday after being attacked in a church rectory, authorities said.
Elon Musk restores X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones
Elon Musk has restored the X account of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, pointing to a poll on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that came out in favour of the Infowars host who repeatedly called the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting a hoax.