SHANGHAI — Pursuing a one hundredth profession title, Novak Djokovic had a neater time in his second match on the Shanghai Masters in ousting Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 6-2 on Tuesday.
Djokovic clinched together with his nineteenth winner, putting a forehand behind the Italian who was racing again throughout the baseline after being pushed vast by the service.
The fourth-seeded Serb didn’t permit a break level within the third spherical, after beforehand being stretched to 2 tiebreakers and saving set factors in opposition to Alex Michelsen of the US.
Djokovic, who has received 4 of his 99 titles in Shanghai, subsequent faces 61st-ranked Roman Safiullin who upset the Thirteenth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (5).
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ rivalry with Daniil Medvedev will add one other chapter after the Greek participant beat Alexandre Muller 6-3, 7-5.
The Twelfth-ranked Tsitsipas and the Russian former U.S. Open champion will meet for a 14th time, and first in almost a 12 months. The fifth-ranked Medvedev has a commanding 9-4 lead within the head-to-head sequence, which has spilled over right into a confrontation off the court docket previously.
“I contemplate him somebody that I respect on the tour, far more than I did earlier than,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “We’ve had some heated issues on the court docket previously, however I feel these issues have resolved themselves over time.”
Tsitsipas needed to wait out a two-day rain delay to play his third-round match in opposition to Muller, however appeared in full management till dropping his serve at 5-3 within the second set. Unperturbed, the Greek broke again to like to clinch the match and renew his six-year rivalry with Medvedev.
No. 16-ranked Ben Shelton put away Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-4, firing eight aces and 24 winners to line up prime seed Jannik Sinner within the fourth spherical.
Seventh-ranked Taylor Fritz additionally superior with ease, beating Japan’s Yosuke Watanuki 6-3, 6-4, whereas Grigor Dimitrov, enjoying in his one hundredth Masters occasion, beat Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (5), 6-3.
Gael Monfils upset Fifteenth-ranked Ugo Humbert 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-1 in an all-French matchup. The 38-year-old Monfils, ranked forty sixth, is the second oldest participant to achieve the Shanghai fourth spherical in Shanghai, behind solely Roger Federer (additionally 38) in 2019.
“It’s by no means straightforward to play Ugo, he’s actually aggressive, enjoying quick off each wings and takes numerous time from you,” mentioned Monfils, who performs second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz subsequent.
Additionally, Tomas Machac, who made the semifinals in Tokyo, eased previous Australian Alexander Vukic 6-4, 6-2 and subsequent faces No. 13-ranked Tommy Paul within the third spherical.
Later Tuesday, third-ranked Alexander Zverev faces Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in an evening match.
Wuhan Open
Katerina Siniakova had a snug 6-3, 6-1 victory over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines to arrange a second-round match in opposition to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Second-ranked Sabalenka, who received the title the final time it was performed in 2019, wants solely to make the quarterfinals at Wuhan to regain prime spot within the rankings from Iga Swiatek, who withdrew from the ladies’s Asian swing citing fatigue and private causes. Swiatek not too long ago cut up with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.
Magda Linette of Poland routed No. 23-ranked Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2, and Ekaterina Alexandrova beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the U.S. 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.
Different winners included Britain’s Katie Boulter, American Amanda Anisimova, Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova and Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, who has Paris Olympics gold medallist Zheng Qinwen subsequent,
After snapping a 24-match dropping streak on the China Open final week, Zhang Shuai’s change of fortune turned in Wuhan as she misplaced to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-4 within the first spherical.
The highest eight seeds, together with Sabalenka and China Open champion Coco Gauff, obtained a first-round bye.
