The long-standing rivalry between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev will add another chapter in the Shanghai Masters as the two players are set to face off in the fourth round. Tsitsipas secured his spot after defeating Alexandre Muller in a rain-delayed third-round match, 6-3, 7-5. This will mark the 14th time these two titans of the court will clash, and their first meeting in nearly a year. Medvedev, ranked fifth in the world, holds a commanding 9-4 lead in their head-to-head record, and their past encounters have been marked by heated exchanges both on and off the court.
“I consider him someone that I respect on the tour, much more than I did before,” Tsitsipas stated. “We’ve had some heated things on the court in the past, but I think those things have resolved themselves over time, and we also had the time to speak about those things and have a common understanding of why these things happen. “What is missing is trying to get a good win under my belt, and that will redeem my efforts so far of trying to get better. My whole goal is to get out there, play the best tennis that I can.”
Meanwhile, Medvedev is already through to the fourth round, ensuring their fiery encounter will take place.
Tsitsipas had to overcome a two-day rain delay before taking on Muller in the third round. The Greek star looked in complete control until he lost his serve at 5-3 in the second set. However, Tsitsipas showed his resilience, breaking back to love to clinch the match and set up a highly anticipated rematch with Medvedev.
In other noteworthy matches, Ben Shelton, ranked 16th, continued his strong performance with a commanding 6-3, 6-4 victory over Roberto Carballes Baena. Shelton’s impressive display included eight aces and 24 winners, setting up a fourth-round clash against top seed Jannik Sinner. Taylor Fritz, currently seventh in the world rankings, also advanced with ease, defeating Yosuke Watanuki of Japan 6-3, 6-4.
Gael Monfils, a veteran of the tour, made a statement by upsetting 15th-ranked Ugo Humbert in an all-French matchup. The 38-year-old Monfils, ranked 46th, emerged victorious with a score of 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-1. This victory marks Monfils as the second oldest player to reach the fourth round in Shanghai, trailing only Roger Federer, who achieved the feat at the same age in 2019. “It’s never easy to play Ugo, he’s really aggressive, playing fast off both wings and takes a lot of time from you,” Monfils said, looking ahead to his next opponent, the second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz. “Carlos is in a confident mood (having) just won a tournament (China Open ), so that’s going to be a tough one for sure.”
The tournament also saw a solid performance from Tomas Machac, who eased past Australian Alexander Vukic 6-4, 6-2. Machac, who made the semifinals in Tokyo, will now face 13th-ranked Tommy Paul in the third round.
The spotlight will shift to Novak Djokovic later on Tuesday as the four-time champion takes on Flavio Cobolli in his third-round match. Djokovic, aiming for his 100th tour-level title, will be looking to maintain his momentum.
In the women’s competition, Katerina Siniakova secured a comfortable 6-3, 6-1 victory over Alexandra Eala of the Philippines. This win sets up a second-round clash against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka, ranked second in the world, only needs to reach the quarterfinals in Wuhan to reclaim the top spot from Iga Swiatek, who withdrew from the Asian swing due to fatigue and personal reasons.
Magda Linette of Poland impressed with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 23-ranked Liudmila Samsonova. Ekaterina Alexandrova also advanced with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 victory over former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Other notable winners included Britain’s Katie Boulter, American Amanda Anisimova, Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova, and Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian, who will face Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen next.
Zhang Shuai, despite snapping a 24-match losing streak at the China Open last week, couldn’t maintain the momentum in Wuhan, falling to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-4 in the first round. The top eight seeds, including Sabalenka and China Open champion Coco Gauff, received a first-round bye.
The Shanghai Masters continues to heat up as the tournament progresses, with exciting matchups and high-stakes battles for the top players in men’s and women’s tennis. The action is sure to continue with intensity and drama throughout the remainder of the event.
