Carlos Alcaraz continued his excellent form on the Chinese hard court. The number three seed beat the home player, Jerry Shang Juncheng, 6-2, 6-2, to advance to the third round of the Shanghai Masters at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center on Saturday. The Spaniard extended his winning streak to ten matches in a row. His record in Masters 1000 events so far this year is now 13-3, including the title in Indian Wells.
Alcaraz is having a good start on his second appearance in Shanghai. Last year, he fell in the fourth round. Next, he will face another Chinese wildcard, Wu Yibing. The Spaniard just rediscovered his joy on the court after having hard times during his American swing. He suffered one of the most surprising losses at the US Open, falling in straight sets to world No. 74 Botic van de Zandschulp.
Alcaraz’s Amazing Backhand Smash Could Be the Sign
Teenager Shang just recorded himself as the second Chinese Player to win an ATP Tour singles title at the Chengdu Open last September. But, he was unable to make much headway against the world number two Alcaraz. Despite their enthusiasm for Sang, the crowd couldn’t resist Alcaraz’s charm.
The four-time Grand Slam champion set the tone with the first set breaking. He produced a fine backhand smash as he glided across the net in the fourth game and put the crowd on their feet despite their home favorite losing the point.
Another impressive shot was made on the second set when the Spaniard produced an exquisite behind-the-back return in the second game. “I’ve been playing really good tennis lately so I want to just keep going and keep feeling it, keep feeling this good,” Alcaraz said after the match.
The Positivity from Alcaraz Continued
His positive result from the previous triumph at the China Open continued despite his complaint about the scheduling. On Wednesday, Alcaraz just finished his thrilling final against the top-ranked player Jannik Sinner. They then shared a private jet to rush to Shanghai and started their run this Saturday.
It comes weeks after Alcaraz waded into the row over the demanding schedule in tennis, claiming “they are going to kill us in some way.” It might be the escalations from his poor performances in the Cincinnati Open and US Open. After his first-round exit at the Cincinnati Open, he even exploded into a rage.
He seemed to regain his power after his performances at Davis Cup and Laver Cup. Alcaraz helped guide Spain to a place in the Davis Cup Finals. He also played important roles in bringing Team Europe to Laver Cup glory. His run followed those to a fourth title at the China Open. “I came here to Asia with a lot of energy, enjoying every single second that I step on the court, and that, for me, is really important,” he said.
Alcaraz is Projected to Face Sinner in the Last Four
Jannik Sinner also had a positive start at Shanghai Masters. The Italian was back to winning ways in his opening round against Japanese player Taro Daniel. Sinner came through 6-1, 6-4, crashing down 12 aces and winning 84% of points off first serve. The top seed took just one hour and 17 minutes to book his place in the third round. He will face 37th-ranked Martin Etcheverry in the third round.
Sinner and Alcaraz are both seeking their first Shanghai Masters title. Sinner had become the first man born in the 2000s to record 250 tour-level wins. This was his 60th match win this year. If they manage to keep their wins, Alcaraz is projected to face Sinner in the last four.
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