Grigor Dimitrov earned his biggest win of the season on Wednesday when he upset World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Entering the match trailing the Spaniard 0-3 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series, the Bulgarian produced a high-quality display at the hard-court event to turn the tables. He timed the ball cleanly off both wings while he used his backhand drop shot to great effect to tuck up Alcaraz, who was aiming to advance to his 13th quarter-final in 14 events in 2023.

The 32-year-old Dimitrov struck 29 winners and responded well after relinquishing a 5-3 lead in the first set to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final of the year and 17th in his career after two hours and 10 minutes.

“I stayed in the match, that was the first thing, especially after the first set,” Dimitrov said. “I was serving very well throughout the first set and he made a few errors. I pushed him to make a lot of errors at certain moments. At 4-5 he played an amazing game and another at 6-5. I was creating a lot of opportunities.

“After the second break in the second set I think I understood his service games and was able to put more balls in and read his serve a bit better. I think in the third set it was a bit of cat-and-mouse. I think we both played a solid set. He made a few errors and I was very solid and served well when I had to.”

Dimitrov, who also reached the last eight in Shanghai in 2017, will next play 22nd seed Nicolas Jarry as he seeks his first title since his 2017 Nitto ATP Finals triumph. The World No. 19 has earned 17 wins against Top 5 opponents, with his previous victory against a player ranked in the Top 2 coming in October 2021 against Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells. Earlier this month, Dimitrov upset then-World No. 4 Holger Rune in Beijing.

In a tight clash, Dimitrov was on the front-foot throughout against Alcaraz. He followed his low slice into the net, winning 73 per cent (16/22) of points when moving forward, while he was rock-solid on serve in the decider. The Bulgarian won 89 per cent (16/18) of his first-serve points in the third set and sealed the fourth Top 2 win of his career with a smash.

“I knew what I had to do,” Dimitrov said when reflecting on his win. “I knew I had to apply constant pressure against him. Even if I was down, even if my shots were not good enough, I had to put him in uncomfortable positions. He doesn’t like being on the back foot. I was coming in quite a little bit and trying to put him in awkward positions.”

Alcaraz now holds a 63-9 record on the season, with his defeat to Dimitrov damaging his ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone chances. The 20-year-old Spaniard leaves Shanghai trailing Novak Djokovic by 500 points in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin.

The World No. 2 was chasing his seventh crown of the season and third at ATP Masters 1000 level. Alcaraz has clinched trophies in Indian Wells and Madrid in 2023.

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos maintained their perfect run Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, but the seventh seeds had to be clinical with their chances to reach the semi-finals in China.

Granollers and Zeballos made it eight sets played, eight sets won at the ATP Masters 1000 event by beating Robin Haase and Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(2), 6-3. The Spanish-Argentine pair raised its level to claim the first-set tie-break before converting the only break point of a serve-dominated encounter early in the second set for a 73-minute quarter-final victory.

With their win, Granollers and Zeballos boosted their Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes. The duo has risen one spot to fifth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as a result of its Shanghai run, putting it in a good position to reach the prestigious season finale for the fourth consecutive year.

Granollers and Zeballos’ semi-final opponents will be Rinky Hijikata and Cameron Norrie. The scratch Australian-British pair extended its dream run in Shanghai by beating fifth seeds Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 6-4, 3-6, 10-8.

It was a third straight Match Tie-break victory for Hijikata and Norrie, who upset third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury in the third round. They held their nerve to win three points in a row from 7/8 in the decider against Gonzalez and Molteni for a tense one-hour, 36-minute victory.

Nicolas Jarry celebrated his 28th birthday by reaching a maiden ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final on Wednesday after he downed the resurgent Diego Schwartzman at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The Chilean 22nd seed prevailed 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to book a quarter-final meeting with Carlos Alcaraz or Grigor Dimitrov in China. He outhit Schwartzman by 44 winners to 17 to claim his second win of the year against the Argentine and improve to 2-4 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“I’m very happy to be able to come back after that second set,” said Jarry. “I was struggling a little bit. I tried to push myself. It’s very tough to play against Diego because of [our] history. Mentally he is so strong, a great competitor and he makes every ball. You have to work a lot and I’m very happy to overcome it.”

Serving big 📈 to set up #InAttack@NicoJarry continues his great year with another attacking performance @SH_RolexMasters

📷 1. Serve #ShotQuality + #InAttack combination
📷2. Serve placement #15aces #TennisInsights | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/MXrPYNveBY

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 11, 2023

Reaching the last eight in China was another milestone in a career-best season for Jarry, who has notched 36 tour-level wins in 2023. That tally includes title runs in his hometown of Santiago and in Geneva, and he now stands on the brink of breaking the Top 20 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings for the first time. He is currently 21st in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings.

“I’m achieving many things this year so I’m happy for every goal, every improvement and I’m trying to enjoy it,” said Jarry. “Every day I’m trying to get better and also five my best in matches to try to win. I’ve done really well so hopefully I can continue.”

Jarry’s wife Laura and his sons, Juan and Santiago, were in Shanghai to share his special birthday moment with him. They will hope to inspire the Chilean to even greater heights when he takes on top seed Carlos Alcaraz or 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals. A win could make Jarry a Top 20 player for the first time.

“It’s very special for me,” said Jarry. “I think this is the third time I spent [my birthday] here, and usually it is alone so it’s pretty sad. Now I have my whole family here, so I’m thankful for that and for my wife who was able to come here with all the flights. I’m very happy to be with them and also this is a bonus to win.”

When you just want to join in on the victory celebrations 🥺@NicoJarry | #RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/F9FIqTlJMJ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 11, 2023

Ugo Humbert joined Jarry in making 2023 the most successful year of his career with a dominant 6-1, 6-2 triumph against J.J. Wolf. The Frenchman did not face a break point in his 58-minute victory to take his season record to 25-20. His previous best tour-level win tally was 24, set in 2020.

“It was a great performance from me, I played a great level,” said Humbert. “I’m very proud. I was really focused from the beginning until the end… I’ve worked a lot with my team, with Jeremy Chardy. Last year I was in Challengers so it’s a great improvement. It’s daily work and we built something good. I’m very happy to be in the quarters here.”

The 32nd seed Humbert will take on fifth seed Andrey Rublev or 12th seed Tommy Paul in his second Masters 1000 quarter-final. The 25-year-old, who also reached the last eight at the Rolex Paris Masters in 2020, is up five spots to No. 29 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings as a result of his Shanghai run.

Rafael Nadal’s long-awaited return to competitive action will include an appearance at January’s Australian Open, tournament director Craig Tiley announced on Wednesday.

The Spaniard, who has hinted that 2024 may be the final season of his career, has not competed since his second-round defeat to Mackenzie McDonald in January at the 2023 edition of the hard-court major in Melbourne.

“We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back,” Tiley told Australia’s Nine Network. “He’s been off for most of the year, and in talking to him over the last few days he confirmed he will be back, which we’re really excited about. That’s awesome.”

The 22-time major winner Nadal underwent surgery on his iliopsoas muscle in his left leg in June, but recently revealed he is hopeful of being competitive when he returns to action. The 37-year-old is a two-time Australian Open champion, having lifted the trophy at Melbourne Park, where he lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2022.

The Western & Southern Open will remain in Cincinnati, the tournament announced on Tuesday in a video featuring reigning champions Novak Djokovic and Coco Gauff.

According to a press release, the tournament will remain in Mason at the Lindner Family Tennis Centre for another 25 years. The 2024 edition will mark the 125th year of the tournament.

Our 2023 champions have some exciting news…@wta @atptour @usta @itftennis pic.twitter.com/g8i7nTGgik

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) October 10, 2023

Founded in 1899, the event is the United States’ longest-running professional tennis tournament played in its city of origin. The announcement was made by Beemok Capital, the family office of Charleston-based businessman and philanthropist Benjamin Navarro.

“The passion and commitment of this community to keep the tournament here was an undeniable factor in our decision to stay,” Navarro said. “The city of Mason, Warren County, the state of Ohio and multiple corporate entities demonstrated their unwavering support for the tennis tournament. This tournament and its history are special. We’re excited to add to its legacy and create a world-class tennis experience for players and fans.”

Djokovic revealed that $200 million is being invested into stadium improvements to “raise the tournament’s prestige on a global stage”. 

Hubert Hurkacz kept his cool under pressure against home favourite Zhang Zhizhen at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to close Tuesday’s play with a 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(4) win against the rising Chinese star.

In a match that finished shortly after midnight after two hours, 39 minutes, Hurkacz found his very best tennis in the decisive tie-break to deny Zhang a victory that would have lifted him into the Top 50 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. Zhang, whose best ATP Masters 1000 result remains his Madrid quarter-final run earlier this season, was bidding to become the first Chinese man to break the Top 50 in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings (since 1973).

“Zhang was playing some really amazing tennis. It was a battle,” said Hurkacz, who wrote “Fight” on the camera lens after the win. “We were both giving it all out there, leaving everything. Hopefully the fans enjoyed that match because I think that was a really high level. If you just left a little bit of space out there, you’re running and fighting from behind.”

Hurkacz’s win lifted him one place to 15th in the Peperstone Live Race To Turin, moving him ahead of Cameron Norrie and keeping alive his slim hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. The Pole remains 1,155 points behind the eighth-placed Holger Rune.

There were no breaks of serve in the first of final set, with Hurkacz creating the only two break points of either set in the opener. That was in stark contrast to a second set that saw five breaks, including in each of the final three games.

Into the last 🎱

Solid defence all evening from @HubertHurkacz to take down Zhang 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(4)!@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/zg4HWQ4rwg

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 10, 2023

In the decisive tie-break, Hurkacz kept the pressure on Zhang with several well-timed net approaches. He hit a brilliant drop volley to level at 3/3, sparking a run of three straight points that ultimately proved enough to seal the win. A single mini-break was the difference in a well-played tie-break, the quality of which measured up to the match as a whole.

Hurkacz hit 25 forehand winners and 16 aces in the match and won 21 of 26 net points. His overall winners-to-unforced errors count was a pristine 49-17, while Zhang recorded a 40-25 mark.

Next up for Hurkacz is a quarter-final meeting with Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan, who beat eighth seed Casper Ruud 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4 earlier on Tuesday. With a win, the Pole will match his best ATP Masters 1000 result of the season: a semi-final showing in Cincinnati.

Did You Know?
Hurkacz has won (29) and played (53) the most tie-breaks on the ATP Tour this season.

Ben Shelton ticked off another milestone in his breakthrough season on Tuesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he upset World No. 4 Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final.

The 21-year-old, who reached the semi-finals at the US Open in September, hung tough in a heavy-hitting clash against Sinner. The American struck the ball with ferocious power, firing 15 aces to earn his biggest win by Pepperstone ATP Ranking.

“This is a pretty crazy atmosphere,” Shelton said. “To think that a year and a half ago I was in college and a year ago playing Challengers, now I am on centre court in Shanghai with the crowd singing happy birthday. It is one of those pinch me moments.

“I had a lot of belief in my ability to serve and hang tough and to make it deep in sets. I trusted my fitness levels, being able to go the distance. That gave me a lot of confidence. My serve wasn’t working that well in the first set, I felt that he was really on top of me. I really started to find my groove and had one of my best serving days in the second and third sets.”

With his two-hour, 32-minute victory, Shelton earned his third Top 10 triumph. He defeated then-World No. 5 Casper Ruud en route to the fourth round in Cincinnati last year and then-World No. 10 Frances Tiafoe in the quarter-finals at this year’s US Open.

“I am addicted to playing on the big stages,” Shelton added. “I have not had a normal upbringing or usual first year on Tour. It has been a little bit backwards but I am just trying to keep going and improving each week.”

Shelton, currently third in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is chasing his maiden tour-level trophy and will next play countryman Sebastian Korda. Americans J.J. Wolf and Tommy Paul are also still alive in Shanghai, with both playing their fourth round matches on Wednesday.

In a dramatic match, Shelton turned the tables after Sinner came out firing in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. The 21-year-old played with greater intensity as the match went on and improved on serve, winning 77 per cent (30/39) of points behind his first delivery in the third set compared to 67 per cent (8/12) in the opener. After leading 4/0 in the third-set tie-break, Shelton responded from falling 4/5 behind by winning the final three points to seal his 21st tour-level win of the year.

Sinner was aiming to reach his fifth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season, highlighted by his maiden title at this level in Toronto. The Italian, who triumphed in Beijing last week, qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time after defeating Marcos Giron in his opening match in Shanghai.

Cameron Norrie and Rinky Hijikata booked their spot in the quarter-finals at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Tuesday when they upset third seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 4-6, 7-6(4), 11-9.

The British-Australian team, who are teaming for the first time this week, saved one match point at 8/9 in the Match tie-break before converting on their first opportunity to advance after one hour and 44 minutes. They will next play Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.

Robin Haase and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also joining forces for the first time this week and advanced, defeating Alex de Minaur and Max Purcell 7-5, 3-6, 10-5. The Dutch-Greek tandem won 75 per cent (38/51) of their first-serve points and will next meet Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos at the ATP Masters 1000 hard-court event.

Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul saved three match points en route to their 5-7, 7-6(1), 10-4 victory against Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin. The Frenchmen are chasing their second tour-level title of the season together, having triumphed in Chengdu last month.

They will take on second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in the quarter-finals.