In a thrilling showdown at the Shanghai Masters, Italy’s Jannik Sinner exacted revenge on American Ben Shelton, defeating him 6-4, 7-6 (1) on the latter’s 22nd birthday. This rematch of their epic fourth-round encounter last year saw Sinner emerge victorious, improving his head-to-head record against Shelton to 4-1.
The 23-year-old Italian’s breakthrough came in the ninth game of the first set, securing a crucial break. The second set was a serving masterclass, with both players dominating on their own serve until Sinner surged ahead in the tiebreak, winning the final seven points to seal his spot in the quarterfinals.
Sinner will face fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev, who earlier dispatched long-time rival Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (3), 6-3. The Greek player’s frustration boiled over in a minutes-long rant against chair umpire Fergus Murphy, protesting a time violation call and initially refusing to continue playing.
Meanwhile, second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz extended his winning streak to 12 matches with a hard-fought 6-4, 7-5 victory over French veteran Gael Monfils. The 21-year-old Spaniard showcased his exceptional shot-making skills, firing 22 winners and securing a break in each set to clinch the match in 87 minutes.
Alcaraz will face Tomas Machac in the quarterfinals, while four-time champion Novak Djokovic continued his pursuit of a 100th career title with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Roman Safiullin. However, third-ranked Alexander Zverev suffered an upset 6-4, 7-5 defeat at the hands of David Goffin of Belgium, who will face seventh seed Taylor Fritz for a semifinal spot. Fritz eased past Holger Rune of Denmark 6-1, 6-2 to secure his place in the last eight.
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