Jannik Sinner outclasses Daniil Medvedev to win China Open

Jannik Sinner earned a first-time victory over rival Daniil Medvedev to claim the China Open crown on Thursday.

The Italian secured a third title of the season with a 7-6(2) 7-(2) win over his Russian opponent that saw him move one place behind Medvedev in the world rankings at number four. 

It was their seventh time meeting on court, with Medvedev having won all the previous matches. 

After a contest lasting just over two hours, Sinner joked during the trophy ceremony: "Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match."

"We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player.

"I have been training a lot to beat you. My team are working a lot. Thank you very much and it is special to share this moment with you."

Meanwhile, Great Britain's Neal Skupski and Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof were defeated in the men™s doubles final, going down 6-7(12) 6-3 10-5 against Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.

READ MORE: Jannik Sinner knocks top seed Carlos Alcaraz out of China Open in the semi-final