Sinner Advances as Tsitsipas Fumes at Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI (AP) — Italy’s Jannik Sinner avenged his previous year’s defeat to Ben Shelton in the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters, clinching victory with a 6-4, 7-6 (1) scoreline. This win on Shelton’s 22nd birthday improved Sinner’s head-to-head record against the American to 4-1. “Happy how I handled this situation, it’s obviously a position where I have been last year,” said Sinner.

The match at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center featured outstanding shot-making and serving, with Sinner breaking Shelton in the ninth game of the opening set. A tightly contested second set saw Sinner excel in the tiebreak, winning the last seven points to reach his seventh ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal of the year. He is set to play against fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev.

Medvedev defeated his long-time opponent Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a match marked by controversy. Tsitsipas engaged in a lengthy argument with chair umpire Fergus Murphy, disputing a time violation call. “You have never played tennis in your life. You have no clue about tennis,” Tsitsipas retorted amid frustration, demanding to speak to the supervisor.

Carlos Alcaraz also advanced by defeating Gael Monfils 6-4, 7-5, using his adept shot-making to outlast the 38-year-old Monfils. The Spanish player will now face Tomas Machac in the next round.

Meanwhile, four-time champion Novak Djokovic secured a spot in the quarterfinals with a win over Roman Safiullin. However, Alexander Zverev faced an upset as he was defeated by David Goffin, who will play Taylor Fritz in the semifinals.

On the women’s circuit, Aryna Sabalenka maintained her unbeaten run at the Wuhan Open, securing her progression with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Katerina Siniakova. Sabalenka remarked on her fond memories of Wuhan as she attempts to regain the top spot in the rankings.