Alcaraz Runs Winning Streak To 11 At Shanghai Masters

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (photo: ATP Tour video)

SHANGHAI/WASHINGTON, October 6, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Carlos Alcaraz joined Jannik Sinner (61) and Alexander Zverev (58) as the only players to capture 50 wins this season. In achieving the 50th-victory milestone at the Rolex Shanghai Masters Sunday evening with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 triumph over Chinese wild card Wu Yibing with the Stadium Court roof closed, it was also the 21-year-old Spaniard’s 100th career hard court victory.

After defeating defeating popular Chinese teenager Shang Juncheng Saturday afternoon, Alcaraz took on the 560th-ranked Wu, who was playing in his first Masters 1000 third-round match, and spoiled the 100-minute homecoming party for his 11th straight victory since bowing in the second round at the US Open. It was the second win in Shanghai since Alcaraz won the ATP 500 China Open in Beijing last Wednesday.

The World No. 2 and third seed Alcaraz hit 11 aces and struck 23 winners while making only 13 unforced errors. He faced no break points on his serve and broke Wu once in three chances. Alcaraz outpointed his opponent 73-66.

Alcaraz praised the 24-year-old Wu, who was one of five Chinese players featured in the Shanghai main draw, during his on-court interview. “He is recovering his level. He’s coming back from injury, but his level deserves to be at the top for sure,” Alcaraz said. “If he keeps playing at this level, I’m pretty sure I’m going to see him around more often. I’m just really happy to get through.

“I don’t want to say I was surprised, but it was the first time I was playing against him. He just beat [Nicolas] Jarry really easily, 6-2, 6-1, so that’s impressive. I had to be focused on playing my best. I’m not used to feeling the feelings I had on the court. He is a really powerful player, plays really strong, so I felt like I was not dominating the game.”

Wu, who will return to the Challenger Circuit in Shenzhen next week, maintained a positive outlook in his post-match news conference. “I enjoyed today’s match, I cherish this opportunity to play with the top player, but ultimately I still want to win,” he said. “Sadly, I didn’t win, I can’t say that I’m fully satisfied. I think that I played certain points pretty well, but I also lost some opportunities. I think these are perhaps the only opportunities to win the match or win the set when I play with such high-level players.”

In the fourth round, Alcaraz will oppose a Frenchman, either No. 16 seed Ugo Humbert or No. 46 Gaël Monfils, who play Monday. Alcaraz began his current winning streak with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Humbert in Davis Cup competition last month.

Sinner passes grueling test against Etcheverry

A day after Jannik Sinner won a milestone 250th match on the ATP Tour, he was put to a grueling test by No. 31 seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina that was both physically and mentally challenging for the 23-year-old Italian.

However, the World No. 1 and top seed Sinner moved a round closer to winning his seventh title of the 2024 season after defeating the 37th-ranked Argentine, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2, in two hours and 39 minutes on Stadium Court with the roof closed.

“It was a very tough match, physically [and] mentally, so I am very happy to get through this one,” Sinner said in his in-court interview after recording his 61st victory this year. “I felt like it was a tough set that I lost. I had my chances [to win the set], but these things can happen.

“Sometimes you have to wait for your chances, which I have done, trying to stay calm mentally, and today that was the key.”

Sinner struck 40 winners — including a dozen aces — and saved four of five break points he faced from Etcheverry. He converted four of the 13 chances he had and outpointed his opponent 101-85.

Next, Sinner will get a day off after playing three times in the past five days. He will face either No. 16 seed Ben Shelton of the United States or No. 54 Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain for a berth in the quarterfinals.

During his post-match news conference, Sinner commented on the length of his match against Etcheverry plus having a day off Monday after playing back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday. “I’m just happy to be part of these kind of matches as always and, you know, it’s, for sure, was something good,” he said. “But also, it’s important for me that the day for tomorrow, I have one day off, which I need to recover, it’s, for me, trying to prioritize this kind of thing now, and hopefully be ready for after tomorrow.”

Medvedev grinds out win over Arnaldi

World No. 5 and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, the 2019 Shanghai titlist and one of two former champions remaining in the draw, won his ninth career match in China’s largest city after rallying to defeat No. 29 seed Matteo Arnaldi of Italy, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, in two hours and 44 minutes inside Stadium Court. It was Medvedev’s fourth career victory over the 36th-ranked Arnaldi and second this season after winning on clay in Madrid.

Sunday’s victory advanced Medvedev to the round of 16 in Shanghai for the second time as he remains in pursuit of winning his first title of the season and seventh Masters 1000 crown.

Medvedev (44-17) finished with 10 aces and hit 32 winners to 19 unforced errors. He converted four of 12 break points and outpointed Arnaldi 109-106.

“It was a very tough match, a very close one,” Medvedev said in his on-court interview. “I actually felt like that’s where tennis is funny. I felt like in the first set, I was probably the better player, had more opportunities. I didn’t manage to [win] it, played a bad game at the end of the set.

“In the other sets, I thought it was closer. Maybe even he had the edge on some of the moments, but that’s why tennis is crazy. You can win when you don’t expect it, and lose when you expect to win, so I’m happy to be here again in two days.”

Medvedev, who has not won a title on the ATP Tour since Rome last year, awaits either 10th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece or No. 74 Alexandre Muller of France, who play Monday.

Around the Rolex Shanghai Masters

No. 11 seed Tommy Paul of the United States rallied from a set down and avoided being upset by No. 19 seed Alejandro Tabilo. Instead, Paul pulled off a 6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-2 win over the 23rd-ranked Chilean.

Coming in, Tabilo owned a 3-14 record versus Top-20 competition and was 0-9 on hard courts, looking for his first Top-20 win since defeating both Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov en route to the semifinals at Rome last May. It wasn’t meant to be against Paul, despite leading 5-2 in the second set.

Instead, the 13th-ranked Paul seed five match points in the second set. He hit 13 aces and 39 winners against Tabilo and broke his opponent’s serve four times in 13 tries to equal his personal-best 41 wins in a season and to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 for the third time this season. Paul improved to 10-3 versus left-handlers, including 2-0 against Tabilo.

Next, Paul will play either No. 30 seed Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic or 91st-ranked Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic, who play Monday.

Meanwhile, heavy rain cancelled all outside play on Sunday. A total of 13 singles matches  — including nine in the lower half of the draw — and eight doubles matches were rescheduled for Monday at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center.

No. 7 seed Taylor Fritz of the United States, No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and No. 12 seed Holger Rune of Denmark are among nine seeded players still waiting to complete their second-round matches, which were originally scheduled for Saturday and have been delayed two days by rain.

Monday’s order of play includes the 13 singles and eight doubles matches carried over from Sunday.

Sunday’s Rolex Shanghai Masters results

Monday’s Rolex Shanghai Masters order of play

By the numbers

World No. 560 Wu Yibing of China became the lowest-ranked player to record a match win in Shanghai — he defeated No. 25 seed Nicolas Jarry 6-2, 6-1. He entered his third-round match against World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz bidding to become the lowest-ranked man to defeat a Top 5 player since No. 690 Joachim Johansson defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal at Stockholm in 2006.

“Quotable …”

“Oh, I love quick matches, 6-2, 6-2, 50 minutes is the best match possible, honestly. But, again, I’m sorry to tell this again, but I wonder if I’m right. I do think that last two, three years the matches are in general longer on the ATP Tour, because the balls don’t go that fast, more longer rallies, more longer games, because you cannot serve aces, and I wonder if I’m right or if I’m telling some nonsense.”

— World No. 5 and fifth seed Daniil Medvedev, during his post-match interview, responding to the question: “Is it more satisfying for you to win a long match or would you rather get through quickly?”

 

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