Tennis News

Zverev wins Shanghai opener against Bellucci

Alexander Zverev began his 2024 Rolex Shanghai Masters campaign with a successful start, wrapping up the star-studded lineup on Stadium Court after Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic also won their matches.

The German registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 victory over Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting to advance to the third round on Saturday.

“He is actually a very good player. He surprised me a lot for his size. His serve is incredible. He gets quite a lot of speed on that, and from [the] baseline he is very, very aggressive,” Zverev said after the match.

After withdrawing from the China Open due to pneumonia last week, the 27-year-old notched his first victory in Shanghai since 2019 in one hour and 36 minutes.

“I didn’t practise, I didn’t do anything really. So, of course, I am happy with the level,” admitting there was uncertainty leading up to the tournament due to illness.

Last year in Shanghai, Zverev lost to Roman Safiullin in straight sets in his opening match.

The No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings will face either Jordan Thompson or Tallon Griekspoor in the third round.

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Djokovic saves set points to deny brave Michelsen in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic began his quest for a 100th title Saturday after overcoming a sluggish start to defeat Alex Michelsen 7-6(3), 7-6(9) in a pulsating second-round clash at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Returning to China’s business and finance hub for the first time in five years, and playing just his second match since the US Open, 37-year-old Djokovic was thoroughly tested by the #NextGenATP American, who held two set points in the deciding tie-break.

“It was the first match against Alex and I also hadn’t played in a while, so it took me a little time to get the rust off,” said Djokovic, who boasts a record 35 match wins in Shanghai. “He started off terrifically; big serves and an aggressive style of tennis… he’s not afraid to step it up and take it to his opponent.

“It was a very close encounter and I thought a high level of tennis in both sets. I’m just glad to keep calm when it mattered in the second-set tie-break.”

Still wearing a protective sleeve over his right knee, on which he had meniscus surgery, Djokovic will next play the winner of 28^th-seeded Flavio Cobolli or longtime rival Stan Wawrinka.

Djokovic won just four points in the first three games against the #NextGenATP American, who raced to a 4-1 lead in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

Putting 16 of his first 18 first serves into play and frequently moving to net, a confident Michelsen played with aggressive intent and appeared comfortable in baseline exchanges with the four-time Shanghai champion. But when the 20-year-old struggled to put his first serve into play in the seventh game, Djokovic broke back and ultimately took the set when he won his 11^th tie-break from 15 played this season.

Like Michelsen in the opener, Djokovic led 4-1 in the second only to allow his opponent back onto even terms at 4-all. But the Serbian held his nerve in the decisive tie-break after saving set points at 7/8 and 8/9 to close out the win after one hour and 55 minutes.

“I was 4-1 up, 15/40 and he hit the let-cord that went over. It could easily have been 6-1 for me in the second,” Djokovic said. “But at this level, things can change very quickly.

“I’m glad to really be challenged by a young player and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

In a high-quality match, Djokovic hit 34 winners to 23 unforced errors, with Michelsen notching 30 winners to 19 unforced errors according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Novak Djokovic, you have got to be kidding 🤯@DjokerNole | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/u2mJE0RrUY

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2024

Djokovic is the only player in history (since 1990) to win all nine ATP Masters 1000 titles, a feat he has achieved twice en route to his record haul of 40 titles at this level. He is yet to reach a final in the series this year.

Djokovic last year won Masters 1000 titles in Cincinnati and Paris, and collected a record eighth Nitto ATP Finals crown. But in 2024 he has won just one title, the Paris Olympics, as his semmingly inevitable march towards 100 career titles has been delayed.

Improving to 33-8 on the season, Djokovic was playing just his second match since a third-round loss to Alexei Popyrin at the US Open. The victory saw Djokovic overtake the injured Alex de Minaur in eighth place in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin and move inside the cut for the Nitto ATP Finals (10-17 November).

Michelsen, who is third in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, is at a career-high ranking of 43 after last week reaching the Tokyo quarter-finals, where he upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round after qualifying.

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Gauff fights back to reach China Open final

Fourth seed Coco Gauff comes from a set and a break down to beat Paula Badosa and reach her first China Open final.

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Djokovic, Sinner and Alcaraz win Shanghai openers

Novak Djokovic wins on ATP Tour return to join Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in the third round of the Shanghai Masters.

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Sinner notches 250th win, cruises through Shanghai opener

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner became the first player to reach 60 wins on the season Saturday when he defeated Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-1, 6-4 in his Rolex Shanghai Masters opener.

Adding to an already spectacular season, Sinner also became the first player born in the 2000s to reach 250 wins as he remains on track to surpass his record 64 wins last season, which stands as the most by an Italian man in the Open Era.

“I felt quite comfortable today,” said the 23-year-old, fresh off his Beijing final run. “I feel in good shape also physically, which is very important for me. Of course I will try to improve for tomorrow’s performance, but today I was serving really, really well, especially in important moments, and was moving well.”

Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index Leaders (2024)

*still to play Saturday

Sinner is now 14-0 in opening-round matches this year and has reached the quarter-finals in all 13 tournaments played in 2024. He is 51-0 against players outside the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings since losing to No. 66 Serbian Dusan Lajovic in Cincinnati last year.

Safety first ⛑️@janniksin | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/AAYDH6IbOe

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2024

The Italian will next meet 31st seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third round. He could face a Shanghai rematch with 14th seed Ben Shelton beyond that, one year after the American knocked him out of the ATP Masters 1000 in what was their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

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Alcaraz earns 10th straight win, tops China's Shang in Shanghai

Three days after beating Jannik Sinner in a three-set epic to claim the Beijing title, Carlos Alcaraz picked up where he left off Saturday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Spaniard earned his 10th consecutive win with a 6-2, 6-2 result against Chinese #NextGenATP star Shang Juncheng.

“I’m not used to playing against players younger than me,” said the 21-year-old Alcaraz, two years Shang’s elder. “He has been playing good tennis lately, lifting his first ATP [title in Chengdu], so I’m pretty sure he’s going to climb the rankings. I’m just happy to to be able to win these kinds of matches.

“At the net he told me that it’s a pleasure share the court with you. So these kinds of things that I hear from [younger players], it’s great.”

Always eager to put on a show, Alcaraz drew gasps from the Shanghai crowd on the third point of the match when he followed a daring net approach with great anticipation and soft hands to bring up 0-40 in the opening game. The Spaniard won the first nine points on the stadium court and never looked back, winning four of seven break points and all seven of his net points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

Welcome to the @carlosalcaraz show 🤩@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/PZtEpXoPPX

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2024

The moment of the match came early in set two, when a backtracking Alcaraz pulled off a backward flick to rescue a point. Alcaraz escaped to win that lengthy exchange, then wriggled out of trouble on the scoreboard by saving his lone break point to lead 3-1. As he closed in on the victory, a booming return drew a laugh from the overmatched Shang, who was bidding to become the first Chinese man to beat a Top 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Alcaraz will meet another Chinese star in the Shanghai third round, when he opens his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Wu Yibing. The third seed has not lost since his shock second-round defeat to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open. Having played just three matches on the North American hard-court swing across Cincinnati and New York, the Spaniard said he is feeling fresh for the home stretch of the ATP Tour season.

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Bopanna & Dodig win opener in Shanghai

Fifth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Ivan Dodig registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Pedro Martinez and Pablo Carreno Busta to advance to the second round at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday.

After crashing in the opening round at the China Open last week, The Indo-Croatian duo raced to victory in one hour and three minutes on Court 6 in their first win as partners this year.

The pair dropped serve once, fired five aces, and saved four break points against their Spanish opponents. They also converted three break points.

They are set to face Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic or #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils and Ben Shelton in the next round.

Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev stunned seventh seeds Neal Skupski and Michael Venus 7-5, 7-5 in one hour and 25 minutes in the first match on Court 7.

In the following match, Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin raced to a quick 6-2, 6-2 win against Alexander Bublik and Frances Tiafoe. The pair made 90 per cent of first serves and saved one break point to seal the match in 49 minutes.

Eighth seeds Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram were tested by Brazilians Rafael Matos and Marcelo Melo. After losing the first set, the Americans staged a comeback and won 4-6, 6-3, 14-12 in one hour and 24 minutes. They will next face Gonzalez & Roger-Vasselin.

Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni were also pushed to three sets by Hugo Nys and Jan Zielinski. The Argentines won 7-6(4), 4-6, 10-6 in one hour and 52 minutes.

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Etcheverry defeats van de Zandschulp in the longest match in Shanghai history

Tomas Martin Etcheverry defeated Botic van de Zandschulp in the longest match in Rolex Shanghai Masters history on Friday. Playing the last match on Court 4, the Argentine won 7-6(5), 3-6, 7-5 in three hours and 43 minutes to advance to the third round.

They surpassed the previous record set last year by Marton Fucsovics and Felix Auger-Aliassime, where the Hungarian defeated the Canadian in three hours and 23 minutes in the second round.

Before that, the record was held by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray when the Serb emerged victorious in three hours and 21 minutes in the 2012 championship match.

With the win, the No. 31 seed extended his lead to 2-0 over van de Zandschulp in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

He will face either World No.1 Jannik Sinner or Taro Daniel of Japan.

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How Rublev’s Live Race outlook shifts after Ruud’s Shanghai upset

Can Andrey Rublev qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fifth consecutive year?

The 26-year-old is well positioned to do so and after Casper Ruud was upset Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, Rublev has a chance this fortnight to improve upon his current seventh position in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Ruud leads Rublev by just 225 points.

Should Rublev reach his fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season, he would be within striking distance of passing sixth-placed Ruud. But Rublev will need a semi-final run in Shanghai to leapfrog the Norwegian.

PIF ATP Live Race To Turin (as of 4 October)

^{*Sinner, Alcaraz and Zverev have secured qualification.}

Daniil Medvedev is aiming to become the next player to secure qualification for the season finale. The 28-year-old is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin while the three players ahead of him have already qualified: Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev.

US Open finalist Taylor Fritz is well placed to earn his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The American, sixth in the Race, played the event in 2022 as an alternate.

Alex de Minaur is not competing in Shanghai, providing a path for Novak Djokovic to slide up to eighth should the Serbian win his opening match at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Grigor Dimitrov is enjoying a resurgent year that has placed him 10th in the Race. The Bulgarian won the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals with a 5-0 record, but has not been back to the eight-player event since. To start 2024, Dimitrov won his first title (Brisbane) since that Nitto ATP Finals stunner. He also reached the Miami final.

American Tommy Paul has an opportunity to qualify for Turin for the first time. The 11th-placed Paul has earned two titles this season (Dallas, Queen’s Club).

With only two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments remaining this year, Stefanos Tsitsipas will look to make ground starting in Shanghai, where he beat former No. 4 Kei Nishikori on Friday. The Greek, 12th in the Race, is seeking to qualify for Turin for the sixth consecutive year.

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Sinner: I wake up in the morning trying to understand how to beat Alcaraz

Many tennis players dream of reaching the top of the PIF ATP Rankings, envisioning ‘World No. 1’ next to their name. They wake up and train countless hours, chasing the opportunity to become the best in the sport. For Jannik Sinner, that dream has become a reality this season, but the Italian believes there’s still room for growth.

The 23-year-old has been the most dominant player in 2024, having won six tour-level titles and 59 matches. But Sinner has a barometer for further improvement. He has lost three consecutive matches against Carlos Alcaraz, who leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 6-4.

The top seed at this week’s Rolex Shanghai Masters, Sinner is finding motivation from his rivalry with the Spaniard.

“I feel like — at least talking from my side — he pushes me to do better. I wake up in the morning trying to understand what I can do better trying to beat him next time, which is something nice for me as a player,” Sinner told ATP Media. “It’s nice that we are rivals on the court and then friends off the court.”

Sinner’s rivalry with Alcaraz has rapidly blossomed into one of the most gripping matchups in recent memory. Anytime they meet, it is almost a guarantee for exciting shotmaking and a display of world-class court coverage. Such was the case in Wednesday’s China Open final, which Alcaraz narrowly won in a third-set tie-break. The back-and-forth contest thrilled Beijing fans for three hours and 21 minutes.

Could a rematch happen in Shanghai? Sinner and Alcaraz are seeded to meet in the semi-finals. Even in the midst of a fierce on-court rivalry, the two remain close friends.

“I feel like off the court we are quite similar because we are surround ourself with our close ones, we like to stay with the team. There are many, many similar things. On the court, we are different,” Sinner said. “He is the one who brings the firepower, the hot shots, he involves the crowd. He’s a bit different. I am more like the solid player, quite calm, so it’s like fire and ice a bit. But it’s a nice combination.

“It also shows that everyone is different. I believe that I have to take something from him as a player, trying some different shots sometimes, which I feel like makes me grow as a player.”

Making his second appearance in Shanghai, Sinner will look to improve upon his fourth-round run last year. A lot has changed for the 16-time tour-level titlist in the past 12 months. Not only has he become World No. 1, Sinner has also claimed two ATP Masters 1000 titles (Miami, Cincinnati) and as many major trophies (Australian Open, US Open).

“The confidence level is in a different moment now. I feel like when I go on court, I feel more safe on the court,” Sinner said. “Playing on a centre court now, let’s say, it’s normal. Before, it was still something new and this, ‘Wow’ effect when you go out. Now, it’s still amazing, but I enjoy it more. It’s a place where I feel very, very safe.”

Sinner is aiming to become the first player to win three ATP Masters 1000 titles in one season since Rafael Nadal in 2018. Should he lift his fourth ATP Masters 1000 crown, Sinner would join Novak Djokovic (2015) as the only player to win Shanghai while holding World No. 1 honours.

“I am at a good level now, but we will always try and aim for something more,” said Sinner, who faces Taro Daniel in the opening round.

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