Sinner Garners Milestone 250th Victory To Advance At Shanghai Masters

Jannik Sinner, Shanghai
Jannik Sinner (photo: ATP Tour video)

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, October 5, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner earned his 250th career win and became the first player to reach 60 victories on the ATP Tour at the Rolex Shanghai Masters Saturday afternoon.

The 23-year-old top seed from Italy eased past No. 93 Taro Daniel of Japan, 6-1, 6-4, to become the first player born in 2000s to record 250 tour-level wins. Sinner, who leads the ATP Tour in wins (60) and titles (six) this season, continued his pursuit to become the first player since Rafael Nadal in 2018 to achieve three ATP Masters 1000 titles in one season after winning the Miami Open and Cincinnati Open earlier this year.

After improving to 60-6, Sinner said of his performance: “I felt quite comfortable today. 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.”

Sinner moved to 14-0 in opening-round matches this season and he’s reached the quarterfinals in all 13 tournaments he’s played in 2024. After beating Daniel with 38 winners — including 13 aces — Sinner is now 51-0 against players outside the Top 20 since losing to then-No. 66 Dusan Lajovic of Serbia in Cincinnati last year.

It’s been a busy week for Sinner, who lost the China Open title to Carlos Alcaraz Wednesday evening, then flew immediately afterward from Beijing to Shanghai. He shared a private jet with the Roland-Garros and Wimbledon champion. Sinner was given an extra day to prepare for his match against Daniel.

“I’m very happy to be back here, it’s a very nice tournament, very special tournament,” Sinner said in his pre-tournament news conference on Friday. “I feel good, I feel recovered, so, yeah, it’s all good.”

Next, Sinner will face 31st seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina on Sunday afternoon.

Alcaraz beat Shang for 10th straight win

Just three days after he won the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing with a thrilling three-set victory over World No. 1 Jannik Sinner, Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz was back on the tennis court. In just 76 minutes , the World No. 2 pollished off 51st-ranked #NextGen ATP Chinese star Shang Juncheng, 6-2, 6-2, on Stadium Court.

Alcaraz hit 14 winners, converted four of seven break points and outpointed Shang 62-37.

“I’m not used to playing against players younger than me,” Alcaraz, 21, said of the 19-year-old Shang. “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.”

On Sunday, Alcaraz will face another Chinese star, Wu Yibing, in the third round. The 560th-ranked wild card has not dropped a set in his first two matches, against Sumit Nagel of India and No. 25 seed Nicolas Jarry of Chile.

Djokovic challenged by Michelsen but advances

All four of the top seeds saw their first action in Shanghai on Saturday, including four-time champion Novak Djokovic, who is playing in Shanghai for the first time in five years. The 37-year-old Serbian, who owns the record for most wins in tournament history (34), faced 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen, ranked at a career-high 43rd, in his opening-round match on Stadium Court with the roof closed Saturday night.

Djokovic was challenged by Michelsen, who jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the opening set. However, the 24-time major champion righted himself and prevailed in an hour and 55 minutes, after being pushed to back-to-back tie-breaks, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (9). It was just his second match since the US Open. This week, in his 10th Shanghai appearance, Djokovic is chasing after his 100th tour-level title and an all-time leading 72nd hard-court title of his career, as well as a record-extending 41st ATP Masters 1000 title this week.

Against Michelsen, Djokovic struck 35 winners and outpointed his opponent 87-75. On Friday, Michelson beat rising Chinese star Bu Yunchaokete, 6-3, 6-4, in a first-round match that was pushed back a day because of Bu’s semifinal run at the China Open.

“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,” Djokovic said his on-court interview. “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.”

Next, Djokovic (33-8) will play either No. 28 seed Flavio Cobolli of Italy or 236th-ranked wild card Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland, whose second-round match was rescheduled to Sunday due to rain.

Zverev wins Shanghai opener

World No. 3 and second seed Alexander Zverev of Germany wrapped up play on Stadium Court Saturday evening with an easy 6-4, 6-2 win over 101st-ranked Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci with the roof closed due to rain to advance to the third round against either No. 26 seed Jordan Thompson of Australia or No. 40 Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.

In their first meeting, which lasted an hour and 36 minutes, Zverev dropped only three points on his first serve, hit 19 winners and outpointed Bellucci 70-54. Bellucci was appearing in his first Masters 1000 tournament.

“I do feel like I’m not 100 percent still,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. He withdrew from last week’s event at Beijing due to an inflammation to his lungs. “I do feel like I get tired quicker. That’s going to stay with a little while longer.

“From hitting a tennis ball and from just pure tennis shots, I did feel well on the court today. I’m actually surprised by that a little bit.”

Zverev improved to 22-6 in ATP Masters 1000 events this season, highlighted by his Rome title.

Around the Rolex Shanghai Masters

#NextGen ATP rising star Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic upset No. 6 seed Andrey Rublev of Russia, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-3, to advance to the third round. He converted seven of 19 break points. It was the 19-year-old Mensik’s second victory over Rublev following his earlier success in Doha and it places him fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Jeddah, where he’s likely to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF in Saudi Arabia in December.

Two other seeded players failed to make it past the second round. Japanese qualifier Yosuke Watanuki, ranked 336th, upset No. 32 seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States, 7-6 (4), 6-3, and No. 27 seed Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina fell to No. 58 Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan, 7-6 (7), 7-5.

One seed who did advance to the third round was No. 20 seed Alexei Popyrin of Australia, who handled No. 55 Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia, 6-3, 6-2, in back of 13 aces and 32 winners.

“I was just really solid, focused on what I had to do,” Popyrin observed after his second-round win. “Served well, and when I had chances in the return games, I capitalized on them. I think that’s what I’ve been doing really well the last couple months is kind of focusing on my service games … you know, trying to hold them comfortably, and then trying to put pressure on the returns, and that’s what I was doing.”

Also, moving into the third round was No. 34 seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, who defeated No. 63 Jaume Munar of Spain, 7-6 (6), 6-4.

Rain suspended or cancelled nine singles matches and one doubles match on the outside courts at Qi Zhong Tennis Center. By 7 p.m., the only matches unaffected were on Stadium Court, which has a retractable roof.

Saturday’s Rolex Shanghai Masters results

Sunday’s Rolex Shanghai Masters order of play

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner is the first player born in the 2000s to reach 250 wins. With 60 wins this season, he is on track to surpass his record 64 wins last season, which is the most by an Italian man in the Open Era.

“Quotable …”

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

–World No. 4 and fourth seed Novak Djokovic, 37, during his on-court interview, after defeating 20-year-old American Alex Michelsen Saturday evening.

 

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