Sinner Advances to Quarterfinals in Thrilling Shanghai Masters Rematch

In a riveting display at the Shanghai Masters, Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner avenged his previous defeat by winning against the American Ben Shelton with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (1). The match, which took place on Wednesday, marked a repeat encounter from last year’s tournament where Sinner was previously defeated by Shelton in the fourth round.

The 23-year-old Sinner demonstrated exceptional skill, asserting dominance in the ninth game to take the first set, and later securing victory in the second by winning the final seven points in the tiebreak. This win improves Sinner’s record against Shelton to 4-1. “Happy how I handled this situation,” Sinner commented after the match, expressing satisfaction with his progress compared to the previous season.

Sinner’s next challenge in the tournament will be against the fifth-ranked Stefanos Tsitsipas, who advanced after a contentious victory over his longtime rival Andrey Rublev, 7-6 (3), 6-3. The Greek player, Tsitsipas, attracted attention for his several-minutes-long dispute with chair umpire Fergus Murphy over a time violation, although Tsitsipas eventually continued the match to secure his place in the quarterfinals with relative composure.

Elsewhere in the tournament, second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz maintained his impressive form, continuing an unbeaten streak with a demanding win over French tennis veteran Gael Monfils, concluding with a 6-4, 7-5 scoreline. Alcaraz’s victory means progression to the quarterfinals, where he will face off against Holger Rune.

Novak Djokovic, a four-time Shanghai Masters winner, continued his pursuit of a historic 100th career title by defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-2. Conversely, third-ranked Daniil Medvedev faced an unexpected exit after being upset 6-4, 7-5 by Belgian David Goffin. Goffin, who emerges as a noteworthy competitor, is set to challenge seventh seed Taylor Fritz next.

Fritz himself achieved a straightforward win against Holger Rune of Denmark, triumphing 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the last eight. This victory positions him strategically for upcoming matches as the Shanghai Masters progresses towards its climax.