Tennis News: Thiem to face Tsitsipas & Osaka to face Barty in China Open finals

Dominic Thiem will face a resurgent Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the China Open after coming from a set down to beat Karen Khachanov and qualify for the ATP Finals. Thiem joined Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Daniil Medvedev in qualifying for the season-ending tournament in London with a 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 victory in Beijing on Saturday. Top seed Thiem overcame an early barrage from Khachanov to keep himself in contention for a fourth title of the season. The Austrian had been broken just once in the tournament before the semi-final stage but lost the first set after failing to hold on three occasions. Thiem showed his fighting spirit to turn it around, though, coming from 5-3 down in the second set to force a decider and recovering from an early break in the third to progress. Also, Alexander Zverev lost his cool as he was consigned to a 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 defeat to Tsitsipas in the second semi-final. The German smashed his racket after failing to serve out the opening set with a 5-3 lead and saw three set points come and go in the tie-break, with Tsitsipas winning five points in a row to go a set up. A composed Tsitsipas powered into a 5-1 lead with two breaks in the second set and although Zverev won three games on the spin and saved five match points, he was unable to deny the Greek a straight-sets victory. Tsitsipas has endured a torrid run of form but will play in his first final since May today. In the women's final, Naomi Osaka will face world number one Ashleigh Barty in the China Open final after surging past defending champion Caroline Wozniacki. Australia Open winner Osaka hit 30 winners in beating Wozniacki 6-4 6-2 in one hour 24 minutes in Beijing. Barty, who won the French Open, earlier battled past Kiki Bertens 6-3 3-6 7-6 (9-7) in their semi-final on Saturday. Sunday's final will be the fourth meeting between Japan's Osaka and Barty, with the Australian leading 2-1.Osaka started strongly but Wozniacki held on until the ninth game, when Osaka broke and served out to claim the set. The world number four, who hit five aces and saved all seven break points against her, broke the 29-year-old Dane twice in the second set as she raced to victory. Barty had to save match point in a thrilling tie-break decider against the Netherlands' Bertens, also committing 52 unforced errors in a nervy showing. The top seed dominated the first set only for Bertens to win the second by the same score. Bertens broke in the fifth game of the decider but could not serve out for the match as Barty hit back to take it to a tie-break. The Australian trailed 3-0 in the tie-break but rallied to set up match point at 6-5, before Bertens won the next two to get a match point of her own. But Barty drew level and reeled off the next two points to wrap up victory in two hours 20 minutes. Barty credited a "massive growth" in her mental strength in playing decisive points.