Tsitsipas prepares Medvedev duel at Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI – Stefanos Tsitsipas' rivalry with Daniil Medvedev will add another chapter after the Greek player beat Alexandre Muller 6-3, 7-5 at the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.

Twelfth-seeded Tsitsipas and the former Russian US Open champion will meet for the 14th time and for the first time in almost a year. Fifth-placed Medvedev has a commanding 9-4 lead in the head-to-head series, which has led to wars of words off the pitch in the past.

“I see him as someone I respect much more on the tour than before,” Tsitsipas said. “We have had some heated things on the pitch in the past, but I think these things have resolved themselves over time, and.” We also had the time to talk about these things and develop a common understanding about them, why these things happen.

“What's missing is trying to get a good win and that will compensate for my previous efforts to get better. My whole goal is to get out there and play the best tennis I can.”

Tsitsipas had to wait through a two-day rain delay to play his third-round match against Muller but appeared to be completely under control until he lost his serve 5-3 in the second set. The Greek remained unfazed in his comeback to win the game and renew his six-year rivalry with Medvedev.

16th-ranked Ben Shelton defeated Roberto Carballes Baena 6-3, 6-4, firing eight aces and 24 winners and sending top seed Jannik Sinner into the fourth round.

Seventh-seeded Taylor Fritz also advanced with ease, defeating Japan's Yosuke Watanuki 6-3, 6-4, while Grigor Dimitrov, competing in his 100th Masters event, defeated Alexei Popyrin 7-6 (5), 6-6. 3 defeated.

Gael Monfils defeated 15th-ranked Ugo Humbert 7-6 (7), 2-6, 6-1 in an all-French duel. The 38-year-old Monfils, ranked 46th, is the second oldest player to reach the fourth round in Shanghai, behind only Roger Federer (also 38) in 2019.

“It's never easy playing Ugo, he's really aggressive, plays quickly on both wings and takes up a lot of your time,” said Monfils, who next plays against runner-up Carlos Alcaraz.

“Carlos is in a confident mood having just won a tournament (China Open), so it will definitely be a tough one.”

Additionally, Tomas Machac, who reached the semi-finals in Tokyo, beat Australian Alexander Vukic 6-4, 6-2 and will next face 13th-seeded Tommy Paul in the third round.

Later on Tuesday, four-time champion Novak Djokovic plays his third-round match against Flavio Cobolli and fights for his 100th tour title. Third-place Alexander Zverev will face Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands in a night game.

Wuhan open

Katerina Siniakova won comfortably 6:3, 6:1 over Alexandra Eala from the Philippines and thus set up a second round match against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka.

Second-seeded Sabalenka, who won the title at the last edition in 2019, only needs to reach the quarterfinals in Wuhan to reclaim the top spot in the rankings from Iga Swiatek, who withdrew from the women's Asian swing due to fatigue and personal reasons has. Swiatek recently parted ways with coach Tomasz Wiktorowski.

Magda Linette of Poland beat 23rd-ranked Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 6-2, and Ekaterina Alexandrova beat former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the USA 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.

Other winners included Britain's Katie Boulter, American Amanda Anisimova, Bulgaria's Viktoriya Tomova and Romania's Jaqueline Cristian, who next faces Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen.

After snapping a 24-game losing streak at the China Open last week, Zhang Shuai's fortunes turned in Wuhan when she lost 6-4, 6-4 in the first round to Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

The eight top seeds, including Sabalenka and China Open winner Coco Gauff, received a bye in the first round.