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Rublev, Hurkacz Seek Second ATP Masters 1000 Titles In Shanghai Final

Two of the ATP Tour's great power players will meet on Sunday in the Rolex Shanghai Masters singles final. While both Andrey Rublev and Hubert Hurkacz are sure to light up the radar gun, the two competitors —  both in search of a second ATP Masters 1000 crown — will attack the match in very different ways.

Rublev, this year's Monte-Carlo champion, is most effective from the ground. His bruising baseline game helped him to the biggest triumph of his career earlier this season on the Monaco clay, and it has provided the foundation for the fifth seed's run to the Shanghai final.

"Andrey, obviously, hits every single ball 200 kilometres per hour, and he just goes after the shots," Hurkacz said of Rublev, who has not lost a set in five wins. "He just brings so much energy on the court. He's a great competitor."

[ATP APP]

Hurkacz's game is largely built around his booming serve, a weapon that helped him defeat Sebastian Korda without facing a break point in the semi-finals. The Pole's prime deliveries often set him up to attack on serve (if they come back into play) and also free him up to be aggressive on return.

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Rublev Downs Dimitrov, Sets Hurkacz Final Clash In Shanghai

They may be good friends off the court, but Andrey Rublev and Grigor Dimitrov held nothing back during their semi-final clash Saturday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

It was the fifth-seeded Rublev who prevailed 7-6(7), 6-3 in a highly physical encounter to book a championship-match meeting with Hubert Hurkacz at the ATP Masters 1000 event in China. Rublev saved a set point before claiming a lung-busting 76-minute first set in a tie-break and then rallied from 0-2 in the second set to reach Sunday’s final.

“It’s not easy when you win matches against friends, because you feel both sides,” reflected Rublev, who is now into his fourth Masters 1000 final. “You feel sad, but at the same time you want to win. It’s a mix of feelings.”

The quest for multiple Masters 1000 titles in a season is ?@AndreyRublev97 defeats Grigor Dimitrov 7-6(7), 6-3 to make the final in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/VL6J4ov0oh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 14, 2023

Despite each pushing their opponent to their physical limits by continuously striking firmly off both wings from the baseline, the pair’s mutual respect was showcased at a key moment in the first-set tie-break. Rublev led 3/2 and fired an unreturned first serve which Dimitrov believed had clipped the net, but no let was detected by the on-court system. Rublev graciously offered to replay the point, but Dimitrov insisted the call should stand.

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Bopanna/Ebden Hold Firm For Shanghai Final Berth

Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden delivered a dominant display in tie-breaks on Saturday to book their spot in the championship match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The fourth seeds prevailed 7-6(0), 4-6, 10-2 against Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event. Bopanna and Ebden raised their level in the first-set tie-break and again in the Match Tie-break to claim a one-hour, 40-minute triumph inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

With their victory, Bopanna and Ebden sealed qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. It will be their team debut at the prestigious season-ending event.

In Saturday’s semi-final clash in Shanghai, Doumbia and Reboul saved all four break points they faced but were still unable to advance to their maiden Masters 1000 final. Bopanna and Ebden, champions in Indian Wells and Doha already this season, cruised through the Match Tie-break to set a championship-match meeting with seventh seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in China.

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Hurkacz Serves Past Korda, Seals Shanghai Final Spot

Can Hubert Hurkacz’s booming delivery help the Pole go all the way at the Rolex Shanghai Masters?

The 16th-seeded Pole produced a serving masterclass on Saturday to down Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 and reach the championship match at the ATP Masters 1000 event. Hurkacz did not face a break point as he consistently found unreturnable deliveries to prevent Korda making any inroads on return, and he notched a break in each set to ease to a 77-minute victory.

With his triumph, Hurkacz advanced to a Masters 1000 final for the third consecutive season. The Pole lifted the trophy in Miami in 2021 and was a finalist in Montreal in 2022. He will take on fifth seed Andrey Rublev or 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov in Sunday’s championship match.

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Bopanna & Ebden Earn Nitto ATP Finals Team Debut

In their first season as a team, Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will compete in the Nitto ATP Finals. The Indian-Australian duo qualified for the season finale by reaching the final of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Bopanna and Ebden will join Ivan Dodig/Austin Krajicek and Wesley Koolhof/Neal Skupski at the year-end championships, which will be held at the Pala Alpitour in Turin from 12-19 November.

After losing their first two matches together this season, Bopanna and Ebden made the final in Rotterdam. They have not looked back since.

The duo triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells and also lifted the trophy in Doha. Bopanna and Ebden also reached a major final at the US Open and another Masters 1000 final in Madrid.

This will be Bopanna’s fourth appearance in the Nitto ATP Finals and his first since 2015. All four of his qualifications have come with different partners. Ebden will compete in the season finale for the first time.

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2023 Tel Aviv Watergen Open Cancelled

The ATP regrets to confirm the cancellation of the 2023 Tel Aviv Watergen Open (scheduled 5-11 November) due to security concerns following the outbreak of war in the region.

“The violence and acts of terror witnessed in Israel are beyond comprehension. We strongly condemn any form of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives across this conflict. We hope and pray for peace in the region,” said Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman.

The decision to cancel the ATP 250-level tournament was taken in close consultation with security experts, with the safety of players, staff and fans as a priority.

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Remembering Dick Leach, USC's Legendary Coach

Former ATP Tour player and University of Southern California coach Dick Leach passed away Tuesday, 10 October at the age of 83. Leach led USC to four NCAA men’s championships as the head coach of his alma mater, where he also achieved All-American honours as a player.

Leach earned a program record 540 wins in his 23-year USC coaching career from 1980-2002. He won four NCAA championships, including three in four years (1991, 1993 and 1994) and ended his USC coaching career with a national title in 2002. During his tenure, the Trojans collected three NCAA doubles titles and two NCAA singles crowns.

A three-time ITA Coach of the Year, Leach was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003. His USC teams won seven conference championships, with Leach earning five Pac-12 Coach of the Year honours.

A memorable moment came when Leach’s two sons, Rick and Jon, contributed to USC’s success under their father’s tutelage. A four-time All-American, Rick won two NCAA doubles titles (1986 and 1987) and Jon, who was a two-time All-American, was a fixture on his father's first three national championship teams.

Before his coaching career started, the California native Leach earned a 12-11 record on the ATP Tour. Leach was a three-year letterwinner at USC (1959-61) under former head coach George Toley.

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Coric Builds Perfect Player With Strokes That 'Cannot Miss'

Borna Coric dreamed up a well-rounded creation when he sat down with ATP Uncovered to build his perfect player.

He began with two ground strokes that "cannot miss" — Juan Martin del Potro's forehand and Novak Djokovic's backhand — citing the dependable power of Del Potro and the unmatched control of Djokovic. "The last time he missed it was probably 10 years ago," he said of the Serbian's backhand.

[ATP APP]

Coric selected a mix of past and present stars, including legends of the sport when looking at net play and the serve.

Of one International Tennis Hall of Famer, Coric said: "I was always looking up to him... He was my idol."

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Federer A Gym Rat In Retirement? Sort Of...

After an illustrious 24-year career on the ATP Tour, how is Roger Federer adapting to life in his first 12 months away from the court? The 20-time major champion is relishing time with family and maintaining a busy schedule while also staying in shape and keeping tabs on the sport.

“I have tried to go to the gym four times a week, which I can't believe I'm actually doing,” Federer said. “At home, I put some machines in that I got literally the week after the Laver Cup in London. So it was like after my career, I finally had a gym. A little bit weird to have it once I was retired, so now I have to use it. So I do that well. I don't play so much tennis anymore so I have to be a little bit more careful what I eat and stuff. I’d still like to play some exhibitions down the road. So I want to stay in shape.”

Federer retired at last year’s Laver Cup, where in his final match he partnered longtime friend and rival Rafael Nadal against Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe. Despite not competing anymore, the Swiss remains close to the Tour.

[ATP APP]

“I follow results almost daily. I like to see what's going on out there," Federer said in his extended interview with Ursin Caderas of ATP Media. "Mostly highlights, I maybe go on YouTube and check four or five minute highlights to get a bit of a feel for the match a bit more. It's hard for me to sit through matches, just because I don't have the time to be honest. With the children and all the stuff that's going on in my life, it's hard to say like, ‘Okay, on that day, I will watch that match.’

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Federer Honoured At On-Court Ceremony In Shanghai

Even in retirement, Roger Federer's popularity in China shows no sign of waning.

The former World No. 1 and 103-time tour-level titlist was honoured Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where Chinese fans had the chance to pay tribute to the Swiss great for the first time since his retirement in September 2022.

Federer was presented with an Icon Athlete Award in a ceremony that also featured home WTA legend Li Na and the No. 1 Chinese player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Zhang Zhizhen.

“It’s been great to see tennis grow in China. One icon is standing here and a future superstar in the making there,” said Federer of Li and Zhang, the latter of whom this year became the first home player to reach the fourth round at Shanghai's Masters 1000 event.


Zhang Zhizhen, Roger Federer and Li Na on Friday in Shanghai. Photo Credit: Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images

Federer
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Rublev Rolls Into Shanghai SFs

Andrey Rublev moved to within two wins of capturing his second ATP Masters 1000 title on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The World No. 7, who is the highest-ranked player remaining in the draw, defeated Frenchman Ugo Humbert 6-2, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals in China and further boost his Nitto ATP Finals qualification chances.

Rublev played on the front foot throughout the one-hour, 31-minute clash, striking his flat groundstrokes with power to push Humbert deep. He also recovered from a squandering a break advantage in the second set, winning the final four games to improve to 3-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Humbert and avenging his defeat to the Frenchman in Beijing earlier this month.

"The match in Beijing, both of us played great tennis and I had chances. I was serving for the match. He was playing really well that match and I tried to analyse what I did wrong that match," said Rublev, who struck 14 winners. "I tried to not make the same mistakes today and I did really well. I am happy to win in straight sets. I played a great match and I am happy to win today."

Rublev now holds a 17-6 record at ATP Masters 1000 events in 2023, highlighted by his title run in Monte-Carlo. Into his sixth semi-final at this level, the 25-year-old will next meet Grigor Dimitrov as he continues the pursuit of his third title of the year.

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Dimitrov Blunts Jarry Power For Shanghai SF Berth

Grigor Dimitrov backed up his upset of Carlos Alcaraz in style on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the Bulgarian downed Nicolas Jarry 7-6(2), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals for the first time at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event.

The 18th-seeded Dimitrov delivered a rock-solid display in the face of a big-serving barrage from Jarry to advance to the last four in Shanghai for the first time in seven attempts. He made just three unforced errors in his one-hour, 39-minute victory, frequently showcasing his high-quality movement around the court and delighting the crowd inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena with some breathtaking hand skills.

“I think there were many components going the right way today,” said Dimitrov, who himself dropped just four points behind first serve in the match. “For me, he is one of the best servers right now. I’ve played him a couple of times, and I feel like every time it gets tougher and tougher to return against him. In the most important moments, I was able to be just solid, nothing else.

“I don’t think I did anything crazy in those moments, I just kept on believing in my game, kept going after my shots. You don’t get many opportunities against him, especially in the beginning it’s very difficult because he doesn’t give you any rhythm… I was trying to apply pressure with the hope that he might make a few mistakes, and he did.”

Dimitrov had notched his biggest win of the season by beating World No. 2 Alcaraz in the fourth round in Shanghai, but he entered Friday’s match with Jarry having lost both of the pair’s previous Lexus ATP Head2Head clashes. He appeared the more settled throughout, however, as he dominated the first-set tie-break before claiming a decisive break in the seventh game of the second set. It was just the second time the Chilean had dropped serve all tournament.

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Granollers/Zeballos Surge Into Shanghai Final

Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos’ red-hot run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters continued Friday. The Spanish-Argentine pair eased past Rinky Hijikata and Cameron Norrie 6-2, 6-3 to reach the final at the ATP Masters 1000.

The seventh-seeded Granollers and Zeballos converted four of seven break points they earned in a 63-minute triumph inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena. They have now won all eight sets they have played this year in Shanghai, where they are seeking their fifth Masters 1000 title as a team and their first since Cincinnati in 2021.

Next stop: Masters 1000 final ?@HoracioZeballos and @M_Granollers defeat Cameron Norrie and Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 6-3 to reach the doubles final in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/8AEMIFOCA9

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 13, 2023

Granollers and Zeballos’ Shanghai run has already boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the fourth straight year. They have risen two spots to fourth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings as a result of their exploits so far in China.

Standing in their way in Sunday’s championship match will be the winner of Saturday’s semi-final clash between fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden and Sadio Doumbia/Fabien Reboul.

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Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships 2023: All You Need To Know

The Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships is the longest-running ATP Tour tournament in Asia, first held in 1972. Former champions include Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the tournament in Japan:

When is the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

The ATP 500 event will be held from 16-22 October. The hard-court tournament will take place at the Ariake Tennis Forest Park. The tournament director is Shigefusa Kanroji.

Who is playing at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

Taylor Fritz, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev and Alex de Minaur are among those in action.

When is the draw for Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships singles draw will be made on Saturday, 14 October at 12 p.m.

What is the schedule for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

* Qualifying: Saturday, 14 October at 11 a.m. and Sunday, 15 October at 11 a.m.
* Main Draw: Monday, 16 October - Thursday, 19 October at 11 p.m and 6 p.m. Friday, October 20 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday, 21 October at 2 p.m.
* Doubles Final: Sunday, 22 October at 2 p.m.
* Singles Final: Sunday, 22 October not before 4:30 p.m.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

What is the prize money and points for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships?

The prize money for the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships is $1,857,660 and the Total Financial Commitment is $2,022,700.

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How Rublev Can Move To The Turin Doorstep

Andrey Rublev cannot qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals during the Rolex Shanghai Masters, but he can put himself on the doorstep of Turin. 

The highest-seeded player remaining in the ATP Masters 1000 draw, Rublev has a big opportunity to move closer to securing his fourth appearance at the season finale, which will be played from 12-19 November at the Pala Alpitour in Turin.

The 25-year-old began the tournament 105 points ahead of sixth-placed Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. By the end of the event, he would hold a 1,060-point lead over the Greek should he win the title.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin Standings

 Players  Points
 5) Andrey Rublev  3,855
 6) Stefanos Tsitsipas  3,615
 7) Alexander Zverev   3,415 
 8) Holger Rune  3,110
 9) Taylor Fritz  2,875
 10) Casper Ruud  2,795

The players currently between sixth and 14th in the Live Race all lost before the quarter-finals in Shanghai and only two members of that group — 10th-placed Casper Ruud and 11th-placed Tommy Paul — reached the Round of 16.

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Korda: 'I Was Kind Of Just Praying That It Would Stop Hurting'

At his best, Sebastian Korda’s game appears effortless. The American crushes the ball with smooth strokes and often takes the racquet out of his opponent’s hand. It is that aggressive tennis that has helped the 23-year-old reach his first ATP Masters 1000 semi-final this week at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

But finding this level has not been easy for Korda, who has struggled throughout the year with a wrist injury.

“My injury actually started last year, probably around this time. I was battling with a wrist, then it was okay, then it got progressively worse during the training block right before the Australian Open,” Korda said. “I played in Adelaide, it was okay. As I started playing best-of-five, a lot of matches, against a lot of really big servers, especially going to the forehand, it was difficult. It started hurting a lot.

“Then, it was just a super long journey from there. I was out for three months, and just had to re-learn, basically, all the tennis stuff that I did, especially with the wrist. Basically every single practice, every single forehand that I hit, I was kind of just praying that it would stop hurting, and it just never would."

KORDAAAAA!!

Seb Korda reaches his first Masters semi-final in a nail-biting match against fellow American Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6)!#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/2K2qrYY9cT

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Korda Outlasts Shelton In Shanghai Thriller

Two of the bright lights of American tennis clashed for the first time on Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton’s quarter-final meeting did not disappoint.

Korda prevailed 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6) against his #NextGenATP countryman Shelton in the first all-American ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final since 2017. Shelton was energetic on court as always and sent down 17 aces with his booming lefty serve, but it was the calm and collected 26th seed Korda who held firm to win despite letting slip five match points from 6/1 in the deciding-set tie-break.

“It’s super cool,” said Korda, when asked about reaching his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final. “I played a really high level. Ben did as well, so I think it was a really high level. We had a lot of great points out there and hopefully it’s the first of many battles that we play against each other.

“He’s such an electric tennis player and it was a lot of fun to share the court with him today.”

KORDAAAAA!!

Seb Korda reaches his first Masters semi-final in a nail-biting match against fellow American Shelton 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6)!#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/2K2qrYY9cT

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Doumbia/Reboul Upset Koolhof/Skupski In Shanghai

Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul’s success on Chinese soil continued Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the French duo downed second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 7-6(5), 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

Doumbia and Reboul, who lifted their maiden ATP Tour title in Chengdu two weeks ago, delivered a top-class serving performance against Koolhof and Skupski to reach the last four at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time. They won 81 per cent (38/47) of points behind their first delivery for a one-hour, 48-minute triumph.

[ATP APP]

The sixth seeds Doumbia and Reboul are now 26-18 for the season. The pair has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this year, alongside its Chengdu triumph, and is currently 16th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Lifting the biggest title of their careers in Shanghai would boost Doumbia and Reboul as they look to make a late charge at qualification for the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

Their semi-final opponents in China will be the winner’s of Thursday’s night-session match between fourth seeds Rohan Bopanna/Matthew Ebden and eighth seeds Marcelo Arevalo/Jean-Julien Rojer.

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Hurkacz Rallies To End Marozsan Run, Reach Shanghai SFs

Hubert Hurkacz kept his cool in the face of an early Fabian Marozsan onslaught to book a semi-final berth Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The 16th-seeded Pole prevailed 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 to end Marozsan’s dream run at the ATP Masters 1000 event. After twice dropping his serve in the opening set as his Hungarian opponent made inroads with clean baseline hitting off both wings, Hurkacz dialled in behind his delivery and lost just nine points on serve across the second and third sets for a one-hour, 43-minute triumph.

“He came with some really great shots, and I just needed to stay positive and keep committing to the gameplan,” said Hurkacz after his win. “To be aggressive, because if I dropped anything short he was just taking advantage of it and coming with some really incredible shots. I knew I had to stay on point today.”

“What did you have to do to turn the match around?”

“Keep coming into the game plan, and be aggressive because if I dropped anything short, he was taking advantage of it…”@HubertHurkacz did exactly that‼️

A massive #InAttack increase in sets 2 & 3 ? @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/gZKkLWUUHU

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 12, 2023

Hurkacz converted five of 11 break points he earned overall in his maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash with Hungary’s Marozsan, who had upset Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud en route to his first Masters 1000 quarter-final. The six-time ATP Tour champion Hurkacz finished with 39 winners, including 18 aces, to improve to 6-5 in Masters 1000 quarter-finals.

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Alcaraz: ‘You Can Improve More From Defeats Than Wins’

Carlos Alcaraz does not plan on dwelling too much on his three-set defeat to Grigor Dimitrov in the Round of 16 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Instead, the Spaniard is eager to return to the practice court after tallying a 5-2 record during the Asian Swing.

“I always say that you can improve more from the defeats than the wins. After this trip, I took a lot of lessons to improve, to be better,” Alcaraz said in his press conference. “As I said in Beijing, I have to work on a few things to beat the best guys and after this loss, it [happened] not too much time ago, so I have to think about it. But I will take a lot of lessons to improve in practice before the tournaments that I have ahead.

“I think I'm playing great tennis. Even if I didn't make the quarter-finals [in Shanghai] or lost in the semi-finals [in Beijing], I think I'm playing great tennis. So I have to practise at my 100 per cent in the weeks before Basel. That is the next tournament for me, so I'll try to make my best in that tournament.”

The No. 2 player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings appeared in good position to battle through against the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion after winning the first set. But Dimitrov maintained his level and Alcaraz was never able to find the answers he so often does to turn the momentum back in his favour.

“Probably I had to start the second set better. I think I made a few mistakes in the first game that I shouldn't do. That is the truth,” Alcaraz said. “It was a little bit of a surprise for me as well, the way that he started the second set after let's say a tough first set for him.

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