Sinner and Alcaraz Shine in Shanghai Masters Opener
Italy’s top-ranked tennis player, Jannik Sinner, along with his Spanish counterpart Carlos Alcaraz, both secured straightforward wins in their initial matches at the Shanghai Masters. This comes just days after they faced off in a thrilling final at the China Open.
Sinner’s Strong Comeback
At 23 years old, Sinner rebounded impressively from his recent defeat to Alcaraz in Beijing. He dominated Japan’s Taro Daniel with a score of 6-1, 6-4 during this ATP 1,000 event. The match lasted only one hour and 17 minutes as Sinner advanced to the third round.
Alcaraz Continues Winning Streak
Following closely behind was third seed Carlos Alcaraz, who also delivered an impressive performance against China’s Shang Juncheng. His victory came with a scoreline of 6-2, 6-2 and took just one hour and 16 minutes—one minute shorter than Sinner’s match. This win marked Alcaraz’s tenth consecutive triumph on the tour after clinching the China Open title and contributing to Team Europe’s success at September’s Laver Cup.
Alcaraz Reflects on Recent Success
“I’ve been playing some excellent tennis recently and I’m focused on maintaining that level,” stated Alcaraz, who has already claimed four titles this year on the ATP Tour. In his next challenge, he will face Yibing Wu from China, currently ranked world number 560.
Upcoming Matches for Top Players
Meanwhile, Sinner is set to compete against Martin Etcheverry of Argentina—ranked 37th—who triumphed over Botic van de Zandschulp from the Netherlands in a grueling match that lasted three hours and 43 minutes—the longest encounter recorded in this tournament’s history—with scores of 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, and 7-5.
In other news from the tournament, sixth seed Andrey Rublev suffered an upset loss against Jakub Mensik from Czech Republic with scores reading 6-7 (7-9), 6-4, and then falling short at 3-6.
As anticipation builds for more action later today (Saturday), Novak Djokovic is scheduled to take center stage against American Alex Michelsen—a promising young talent aged just twenty—as he seeks his landmark hundredth title at tour-level competitions while aiming for yet another Shanghai Masters crown.
Student at Government College of Engineering Kolkata and an enthusiastic Journalist. Follows Topics such as Indian Politics, Gaming, Anime, etc. Click on the bell icon for more news and opinions from Srijan.
