Carlos Alcaraz vs Karen Khachanov Prediction China Open Tennis Picks 9/30/24

Carlos Alcaraz registered his 200th win of his young and glittering career on Sunday. He demolished Tallon Griekspoor for the loss of only THREE games in less than an hour. And for the second time in his career, he breezed into the China Open quarterfinal with his sights set firmly on the ultimate prize this week.

The most impressive statistic from the match was Alcaraz's points won behind the first serve, which was at an incredible 100%. He was just unplayable behind his first serve (23 out of 23 points won) and did not face a single break point in the match. 

The World No. 3 is yet to drop a set in Beijing, having also won his opening match in straight sets and improving 46-9 for the season. Alcaraz can keep pressure on Jannik Sinner for the race to finish the season as World No. 1 if he wins the title.

But first, he must take care of his quarterfinal opponent, Karen Khachanov, whose pedigree on this surface is not something to underestimate. The big-hitting Russian arrived in Beijing on the back of three successive defeats and fell outside the Top 20. 

Khachanov has turned his form around by picking up two valuable wins at the China Open, beating Roberto Carballes Baena and then Francisco Cerundolo. He improves to 25-19 for the season.

Carlos Alcaraz vs Karen Khachanov Head-To-Head

• Alcaraz leads Khachanov 3-0 in their head-to-head, but all those meetings were contested on clay. 

Carlos Alcaraz vs Karen Khachanov Prediction

Despite the lopsided head-to-head, this will be their first meeting on a hard court, so Khachanov has a lot to be optimistic about in terms of his chances. But there is no denying that Alcaraz has bounced back supremely in Beijing, and the manner of Khachanov's performances in the second half of the season suggests he is a man struggling with confidence. He has yet to beat a Top 10 player on a hard court this season. Give me the Spaniard in straight sets to shave the juice.