Shanghai, October 9 (Daily Kiran) : German tennis star Alexander Zverev has moved into the third round of the Shanghai Masters after defeating local player Wu Yibing in straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (4), on Friday. Despite facing challenges during the match and struggling at times, Zverev delivered strong performances at crucial moments to secure his victory.
Zverev claimed the first set 6-4, but the second set proved to be a hard-fought battle. He ultimately triumphed in the tiebreak, allowing him to advance to the next round. In this round of 64 match, Zverev found himself in a good position during the second set, but faced a scare when he fell on the court after twisting his ankle while executing a backhand shot.
Despite the injury, the German player did not give up. He quickly got back on his feet and continued the match, maintaining his composure. Zverev showcased his skill in the tiebreak of the second set, ultimately winning the match in one hour and 36 minutes.
After his victory over Wu, Zverev commented, “He hits every ball with full power, so the outcome of the match depends a lot on him aside from my serve. I felt my serve was decent, but everything else was in his hands. He played well in the second set, so I’m happy to have won in straight sets.”
In other matches, seventh-ranked Flavio Cobolli was upset by 83rd-ranked Adrian Mannarino, who won 1-6, 6-4, 3-6. Cobolli, who also faced an early exit in Beijing last week, struggled to find his rhythm in Shanghai.
Earlier, Ben Shelton celebrated his 24th birthday by defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-6 (6). Shelton, who reached the finals of the US Open recently, is now aiming for his second Masters 1000 title after winning the Canada Masters earlier this year. Additionally, Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto pulled off a major upset by defeating former finalist Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-4 in another second-round match.
Sakamoto, currently ranked 137th in the world, displayed impressive skill, breaking Rublev’s serve twice and saving both break points to secure his spot in the round of 32 after a match lasting one hour and 22 minutes.
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