Stefanos Tsitsipas Sets Up Shanghai Masters Clash with Daniil Medvedev

Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his successful campaign at the Shanghai Masters, advancing to the fourth round after defeating Frenchman Alexandre Muller. The Greek tennis star secured the victory with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-5, setting up an intriguing clash with Daniil Medvedev, a match eagerly anticipated due to the longstanding rivalry between the two top players.

Despite a late scare in the match when he lost serve at 5-3 in the second set, Tsitsipas maintained his composure to eventually seal the win. “I lost concentration [after] I was able to play well during the entire match,” Tsitsipas reflected post-match. He attributed the brief lapse to minor frustrations with the net cords that impacted his serve and forehand. Nevertheless, he revealed his ability to overcome such challenges by focusing on removing negative thoughts and regaining momentum.

Tsitsipas, currently ranked 10th in the ATP seedings, demonstrated resilience by saving the first six break points he faced and fired seven aces to overpower Muller. He will now face a familiar opponent in Medvedev as they meet for the 14th time in their head-to-head rivalry. Medvedev leads their Lexus ATP Head2Head series 9-4, including wins in their 2023 encounters.

Addressing his upcoming opponent, Tsitsipas remarked, “He’s someone that likes courts like this.” The Greek player expressed satisfaction with the current state of his game and emphasized his goal of securing significant wins to confirm his progress. Tsitsipas noted the unique qualities Medvedev brings to tennis, acknowledging that in the past, he underestimated his rival’s unconventional style.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Masters also saw French veteran Gilles Monfils causing an upset by defeating Ugo Humbert to reach the last 16 stage. Monfils partnered his experience with skill to secure a 7-6(7), 2-6, 6-1 victory. Up next for Monfils is a challenging match against third seed Carlos Alcaraz.

In other developments at the tournament, several players progressed in their matches, including #NextGenATP entity Jakub Mensik, who beat Jiri Lehecka. The American Ben Shelton also advanced, setting up a rematch with Jannik Sinner after defeating Kamil Majchrzak.