Looking for Tennis and Racket Sports International News?

Casper Ruud’s long wait for his Rolex Shanghai Masters debut did not disappoint.

The eighth seed powered to a 7-5, 6-0 triumph against Yoshihito Nishioka on Friday at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000 event. The Norwegian let slip an early 4-1 lead on the Qizhong Tennis Center’s Stadium Court but quashed Nishioka’s comeback in style by winning eight straight games from 5-5 for a 75-minute second-round win.

“I’m very happy of course,” said Ruud. “Yoshihito came back in a tough, long first set. These things can happen. Whoever wins a first set like this will feel motivated to keep going in the second.

“I know the feeling myself. You feel like you worked hard for an hour just to lose the set and it feels like you have to climb a mountain to turn the match around. Maybe that’s what happened. I got a great start in the second and I just kept it going.”

A Shanghai debut to remember ?@CasperRuud98 flies into the third round, defeating Yoshihito Nishioka 7-5, 6-0.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/bmA7aoHBWE

A native of Buenos Aires, Camilo Ugo Carabelli grew up doing what many young Argentine boys enjoy: playing football. At age seven, Ugo Carabelli would finish football practice and then ride alongside his mother to pick up his brother, Jeremias, from the tennis courts.

When Jeremias invited Camilo to try tennis, they both were met with surprise.

“My brother said, ‘Come hit with me,’” Camilo recalled to ATPTour.com. “The first time I hit the ball, it was perfect and he said, ‘Whoa, I think you can play tennis better than football,’ because me and football are very bad.”

[ATP APP]

Despite being a natural from the start, it was not until a decade later, when Ugo Carabelli was 17, that he had pro tennis aspirations. The Argentine wanted to enjoy being with family and friends while also focussing on school as a teenager. Those values still live with Ugo Carabelli, who is taking classes at the University of Palermo and has each of his family member’s names [Gustavo Ugo, Maria Marta and Jeremias] and their dates of birth tattooed on his body.

Carlos Alcaraz arrives at the Rolex Shanghai Masters with Novak Djokovic and World No. 1 on his mind.

The Spaniard is chasing a second consecutive ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by Pepperstone finish and trails the Serbian by 580 points in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin. The 20-year-old would leapfrog Djokovic and move into top spot if he reaches the final in Shanghai.

“I think [about Djokovic] almost in every practice, I am not going to lie,” Alcaraz said when asked about catching the 36-year-old. “I train with a goal. I go to the tournaments with a goal. To try to end the year as No. 1. Novak Djokovic is on my mind in almost every practice. I have to practise my best. I have to go for 100 per cent in every ball to be able to catch him.

“He is 100 per cent focused. I watch his practice, his movement and the way he plays and trains and it is something I want. He puts 100 per cent in every practice and game and it is something I am trying in my game.”

Alcaraz, who has lifted six trophies in 2023, is making his debut in Shanghai, having advanced to the semi-finals in Beijing. The top seed is the only player to have earned more than 60 tour-level wins this season, advancing to at least the semi-finals in 12 of the 14 events he has played.

#NextGenATP Serbian Hamad Medjedovic has jumped one place to eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah following a standout run at the Astana Open.

The 20-year-old is aiming to make his debut at the Next Gen ATP Finals and boosted his chances by advancing to his second tour-level semi-final at the ATP 250 hard-court event. Medjedovic defeated Laslo Djere, Alexander Shevchenko and Jiri Lehecka before eventually falling to Sebastian Korda.

Earlier this season the Serbian reached the last four in Gstaad. He has also lifted three ATP Challenger Tour trophies.

Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah

Frenchman Terence Atmane has also climbed, jumping one place to 12th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah after advancing through qualifying at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to reach the first round.

As the Asian Swing continues, Jannik Sinner boosted his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals by winning the title at the China Open.

This week, the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin will heat up further at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. There are 845 points separating fifth-placed Andrey Rublev and ninth-placed Taylor Fritz.

ATPTour.com looks at players in contention for the season finale.

Fourth - Jannik Sinner
The Italian consolidated his fourth-placed position in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin after winning his third tour-level trophy of the season at the China Open in Beijing. The 22-year-old, who is aiming to qualify for the prestigious year-end event for the first time, defeated Daniil Medvedev in the title match. Medvedev has already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals.

[ATP APP]

How to make a splash in Shanghai.

Arthur Fils wasted little time showing Chinese fans why he is one of the ATP Tour’s most highly rated talents on Thursday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where the 19-year-old breezed past Pavel Kotov 6-1, 6-4 in just 78 minutes on Stadium Court.

The Frenchman delivered a dazzling display of shotmaking to notch his second main-draw ATP Masters 1000 win. He outhit Kotov by 25 winners to nine in a confident performance which also showcased his expert all-court movement.

“[I’m delighted] because I played against a great opponent," said Fils. "I’ve known him a long time, he plays great. I was pretty happy with my first set, and my second set was good also. He played some great points and great games so he came back a little bit, but at the end I finished the match in a good position, so I’m really happy about it.”

It's all in the name ??

Arthur Fils x @Gael_Monfils
#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/aXIInm0hld

Robert Davis is the author of Elements of Coaching Professional Tennis, available on Amazon.

From shouts of "Vamos", to endless drop shots and topspin lobs, there is no denying the Carlos Alcaraz effect on tennis in China. The country with a population of 1.4 billion is in the midst of a tennis explosion with courts, competitions and coaches popping up all over the nation. While Alcaraz may be the most popular player, credit must be given to China’s frontline stars Wu Yibing, Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng for getting men’s tennis on the big screen.

Nowadays Chinese players shuttle between Beijing and Bradenton, Shanghai and Spain, like morning commuter stops. It is not just the foreign academies that are cashing in on the tennis boom, but the entire Chinese tennis industry; racquets, balls and apparel are flying off the shelves. And the only pickleballs you will find in China come in a jar.

It was not always so. Back in 1993, Australia’s Desmond Tyson landed in China on a goodwill mission between the Chinese and Australian governments. Tyson was tasked with assisting the national tennis team with training camps and coach education workshops. 

“It was definitely interesting,” remembers Tyson of the early days. “On one end, they had some pretty good players already, and on the other end, they were still stringing racquets with fishing line. But it was very obvious that they were keen to get better.”

The legacy of Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah goes far beyond their results on court; the 345 doubles matches they won together on the ATP Tour, their 19 titles —including two Grand Slams— and becoming the World’s No. 1 duo in 2019. The biggest impact the Colombians have had was their commitment to working together in a discipline in which long partnerships are rare.

“The first time I met Sebas, we were five years old. We started playing in the same city. We grew up together and ended up experiencing a lot of things together,” explained Farah. “The only others with a similar backstory are the Bryan brothers. The difference being that we formed a brotherhood along the way and, thanks to hard work, a lack of ego between us, and not arguing over minutiae, we managed to have a successful partnership.”

It is a miracle that they ever crossed paths in the first place. Robert was born in Montreal, Canada, where his parents Patrick and Eva had settled after fleeing the Lebanese civil war. The fact that the Farah Makssoud family ended up in Cali, Colombia, was mainly due to a holiday they took in the late eighties. They ended up staying there, Patrick as a tennis coach and Eva as a teacher.

[ATP APP]

It was in Cali where destiny brought Robert and Juan Sebastian together. They met at a local tournament for under-eights. They played on adjoining courts in the first round and both of them beat older players. “That’s when I realised the potential they both had,” remembers Patrick, who would eventually become coach to the two of them.

Taylor Fritz and Alex de Minaur were invited to experience the charm of Shanghai on Tuesday ahead of the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

Fritz and De Minaur enjoyed a tour of The Bund on the ‘City News Service’ themed sightseeing bus, learned about traditional Chinese calligraphy and taught tennis skills to two Chinese youngsters on the banks of the Huangpu River on the North Bund.

"Today's experience was an unforgettable memory," said Fritz and De Minaur. "It is a very good cultural experience to understand and appreciate the charm of the city of Shanghai."

On the banks by the Bund ??@Taylor_Fritz97 and @alexdeminaur try their hand at Chinese calligraphy #RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/3ZaATuvHJz

The American and Australian relished the chance to play tennis on the banks of the Huangpu River and enjoy the breathtaking scenery on both sides of the river. With the help of the two young players, Fritz and De Minaur then completed their calligraphic works of ‘Shanghai’ and ‘Dashi’, which in Chinese means ‘master’.

Zhang Zhizhen sealed a hometown breakthrough in style Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The leading Chinese player in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings raced to a 6-1, 6-2 triumph against Richard Gasquet to claim his maiden victory at his home ATP Masters 1000 event. The 26-year-old made his main-draw debut four years ago at the previous edition of the Shanghai event (l. to Hurkacz), and he was relieved to break his duck at the next opportunity in front of his home fans.

“I was very nervous before the match because I had never had a success in Shanghai,” said Zhang, who had also not won a qualifying match in five attempts at his home event. “Finally, in 2023, I got a first win, so I’m super happy about it.”

Statement made ??

Hometown hero Zhizhen Zhang defeats Richard Gasquet 6-1 6-2 to notch up a maiden victory in Shanghai.#RolexShanghaiMasters | @SH_RolexMasters pic.twitter.com/g9kDtUFdZY

Zhang arrived in Shanghai this year a completely different prospect to his previous campaigns. He rose to a career-high No. 52 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Chinese player, in July and became the first player from his country to earn a Top 5 win by downing Casper Ruud at the US Open in late August.

Jannik Sinner flipped the script in style on Wednesday at the China Open, where he earned victory against Daniil Medvedev for the first time in his seventh attempt to win his third title of the season.

The Italian entered his fifth championship match of the year trailing the 27-year-old 0-6 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Sinner looked unfazed by his previous record against the World No. 3, though, firing his trademark clean groundstrokes with power to outlast Medvedev 7-6(2), 7-6(2).

The 22-year-old was also strong on serve, winning 71 per cent (17/24) of his second-serve points to triumph after two hours at the ATP 500 event.

"Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match," Sinner joked during the trophy ceremony. "We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you. My team are working a lot. Thank you very much and it is special to share this moment with you."

With his 49th tour-level win of the season, Sinner has jumped to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings. The 22-year-old is just the second Italian to crack the Top 5, joining Adriano Panatta, who reached a career-high No. 4 in August 1976.

Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek cinched their fifth tour-level title of the season together on Wednesday at the China Open where they moved past second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski 6-7(12), 6-3, 10-5 to ensure they remained first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings.

The Croatian-American team recovered from losing an epic first set, in which they failed to convert five set points in the tie-break before falling behind. The top seeds refused to buckle, though, taking their only break point opportunity in the second set to level before advancing through a Match Tie-break, sealing victory after two hours and eight minutes.

[ATP APP]

Dodig and Krajicek’s win means they stay first in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, 360 points ahead of Koolhof and Skupski, who would have moved to top spot with victory.

Dodig and Krajicek have now won five tour-level trophies in 2023, having also clinched titles at Roland Garros, Monte-Carlo, Rotterdam and The Queen’s Club. Wednesday’s triumph was the pair’s eighth as a team and fourth on hard courts overall. Dodig also won the crown in Beijing in 2019 with Filip Polasek.

More than eight years since their previous meeting, Dusan Lajovic and Stan Wawrinka reignited their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. It was Serbia’s Lajovic who rode a fast start to his maiden victory against the Swiss former World No. 3.

Lajovic prevailed 6-4, 7-6(7) on Shanghai’s Stadium Court to complete the set of winning a main-draw match at each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The World No. 54 broke Wawrinka’s serve in the opening game en route to the first set and saved a set point in the second-set tie-break before wrapping a one-hour, 53-minute triumph.

Lajovic, who lifted his second ATP Tour title in April in Banja Luka, struck 16 winners and just seven unforced errors to outlast Wawrinka in a one-handed backhand battle to move to 1-2 in tour-level meetings against the Swiss. The Serbian has now won eight of his past nine matches against Top 50 opponents, and he will have the chance to improve that record further in the second round in Shanghai when he takes on 23rd seed Tallon Griekspoor.

Brandon Nakashima also booked an appointment with a seeded opponent in Shanghai. The American downed Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-1, 7-6(3) and will take on third seed Holger Rune in the second round. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Nakashima fired 21 winners, including nine aces, to seal his first Masters 1000 match win since March in Miami.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]

Buyunchaokete is one of several Chinese tennis players on the rise. This time last year, the Xinjiang native, who goes by just one name, was No. 342 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. He won six ITF World Tennis Tour events in 2022 and has since enjoyed more playing opportunities on the ATP Challenger Tour.

The 21-year-old, who is now World No. 187, is set to make the next big step in his rapid rise: playing his first ATP Tour event at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

"I feel great. It's really near to my home. My first time playing ATP in China, it feels amazing," Buyunchaokete said. "I feel really excited and I don't feel much pressure. I just want to enjoy it here."

The wild card Buyunchaokete has found success on the ATP Challenger Tour this season, reaching three semi-finals, including a title run in April in Seoul. “That feeling was just so special,” he stated. 

[ATP APP]

For the first time since 2019, the ATP Tour returns to Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters, which is now a 12-day event.

Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will be joined by Beijing finalists Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner (who will play for that title on Wednesday) among the trophy favourites, with 19 of the Top 20 players in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings in the draw.

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things to watch at the season's penultimate ATP Masters 1000.

[ATP APP]

1) Top Seed Alcaraz Seeks First Title Since Wimbledon: Carlos Alcaraz has enjoyed a strong hard-court campaign following his success at the All England Club, but despite a 14-4 record across four events, he is still seeking his first hard-court crown since Indian Wells. After a run to the Beijing semi-finals in his successful debut on Chinese soil, Alcaraz will open against Nuno Borges or Gregoire Barrere in Shanghai.

Tuesday semi-final victories for each of the top two seeds at the China Open set up a marquee final in Beijing.

Top seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek won their second straight Match Tie-break at the ATP 500, edging fourth seeds Santiago Gonzalez and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 4-6, 7-5, 10-6. The Croatian-American duo is seeking its fifth tour-level title of a sensational 2023 season that includes triumphs at Roland Garros and in Monte-Carlo.

Second seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski have yet to drop a set this year in Beijing. The reigning Wimbledon champions continued their dominant run in the Chinese capital with a 7-6(3), 6-2 win against Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev.

[ATP APP]

Wednesday's final will double as a shootout for first place in the Pepperstone ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings. Dodig and Krajicek currently have a 160-point lead in their bid to finish the season as the ATP Tour's No. 1 team.

Throughout the 2023 season, ATP Uncovered asked players to showcase their tennis knowledge by making predictions for the year. As the campaign nears its conclusion, and the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin heats up, we take a look back to see who made the best picks.

There was plenty of love for Andrey Rublev, who had three backers choose him as a first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion — in addition to himself... sort of.

"Hopefully I can win at least one. Someday, some year, some life," Rublev told the cameras in what seemed more like a wish than a prediction. Either way, it came true when he won Monte-Carlo.

[ATP APP]

Rafael Nadal was among three players to correctly predict Jannik Sinner's first ATP Masters 1000 title. The 22-year-old defeated Alex de Minaur to win the Toronto crown in August, finally picking up a trophy at the prestigious level after defeats in the Miami final in both 2021 and 2023.

Jannik Sinner completed a methodical turnaround against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday in the China Open semi-finals to become the first player to register four tour-level wins against the Spaniard. With a 7-6(4), 6-1 victory, the Italian improves to 4-3 in the pair's Lexus ATP Head2Head and rises to No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, setting himself up for a new career high.

Sinner will become the second Italian in the history of the Pepperstone ATP Rankings to reach the Top 5, joining Adriano Panatta.

Now 5-3 this season in semi-finals, Sinner will meet Daniil Medvedev in Wednesday's final, when the Italian will bid for his third tour-level singles title of 2023 and his ninth overall.

[ATP APP]

Following his second win against Alcaraz in three meetings this season, the Italian talked up the pair's blossoming Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.

Daniil Medvedev extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head advantage in his longrunning rivalry with Alexander Zverev on Tuesday to advance to China Open final.

With a 6-4, 6-3 victory, Medvedev advanced to his eighth tour-level final of the season. Already owning a personal-best five titles this year, he will seek to add to that tally against Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner in Wednesday's final.

"It's an amazing, strong field so it's great to be in the final against one of the amazing Sinner or Alcaraz," he said post-match.

"I'm really happy with my level. Roof closed, different conditions today, much faster. Both of us are big servers so it came down to just a few opportunities and I managed to serve better when I had break points to save than he did."

Medvedev improves to 10-7 in his series with Zverev, including a 4-1 mark this season. He has now won five of their past six meetings and nine of their last 11 following an 0-4 start in the Lexus ATP Head2Head. His Beijing victory also served as a measure of revenge after Zverev won their most recent previous meeting in Cincinnati.

Adrian Mannarino became the first Frenchman since 2020 to win multiple tour-level titles in one season on Tuesday when he earned a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback victory against Sebastian Korda in the Astana Open final.

The 35-year-old trailed Korda by a set and a break but rallied, winning five consecutive games to level the match before outlasting the American in the lengthy exchanges in the decider to clinch his fourth tour-level title.

Mannarino, who also triumphed in Newport earlier this year, fell in the Astana title match against John Millman in 2020. He ensured he would not suffer more heartbreak at the ATP 250 event, defeating Korda after two hours and 10 minutes in the pair’s first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.

"At the beggining of the match I was not feeling my best," Mannarino said. "I was a little tight. And then when I was down in the second set I started to try and enjoy the match and play with less stress. I tried some tough shots and it worked out pretty well. I got a bit lucky to come back in the second set and then in the third set I was feeling better. I am pretty happy with that match."

The Frenchman has earned a personal-best 37 tour-level wins this year, surpassing his previous career-high of 33 in 2017. With his latest win, Mannarino has climbed to No. 23 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, just one spot off his career-high No. 22.