It may have taken 48 hours, but Taylor Fritz ensured his big plans for the final stretch of the 2024 season remain on course with a hard-earned opening victory Monday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The American kept his cool in the face of a free-spirited performance from Terence Atmane to secure a 7-6(4), 7-6(5) triumph at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000. After rain forced the second-round clash to be suspended with Fritz leading 4-3 on serve on Saturday afternoon, the seventh seed on Monday completed a two-hour, three-minute victory under the roof inside Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.

The US Open finalist Fritz remains fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and is in a strong position to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, where he made his debut in 2022. Yet the American was determined to take things one step at a time after passing a tough test from Atmane in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash.

“I don’t want to speak too soon, but I think I’m in a good position,” said Fritz. “I’m not thinking so much about the goal of reaching the finals right now, because I’m fifth in the Race. If the goal is that and I get panicky, it would be like, ‘Let’s just not slip four spots’. My goal right now is to finish the year in the Top 5, keep my place. I think that’s just a better mindset to have, both to qualify for the finals and play good tennis for the rest of the year.”

Firing on all cylinders 🔥@Taylor_Fritz97 keeps his perfect Shanghai opening round record intact, defeating Atmane 7-6(4) 7-6(5).@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/Aejpiu9R4L

— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 7, 2024

Against Atmane, Fritz crucially saved the only two break points of the opening set from 15/40 in the ninth game, and after clinching the first-set tie-break he established a 4-2 lead in the second set. The Frenchman continued to push Fritz, but the American again found something extra late on to clinch the second set in a tie-break.

“I think his ability to basically hit a winner from anywhere on the court made it very tough,” said Fritz. “Because sometimes I almost felt like if I wanted to be the aggressor in the rally, I had to go on when I maybe didn’t want to go on. Then sometimes I had to take just a more defensive, solid approach to the points, let him pull the trigger and if he makes it, he makes it.

“That uncertainty of, 'What if he does make it?' is always uncomfortable. He was playing really well, serving well on big points, so it’s great to get through that in two sets.”

Fritz’s next assignment in Shanghai will be a third-round clash on Tuesday against Yosuke Watanuki. The 26-year-old Fritz is now 5-0 in opening rounds at the Chinese Masters 1000, but is yet to reach the fourth round across his five appearances.

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Another Top 10 star and Turin hopeful, Grigor Dimitrov, also completed victory Monday in a rain-affected second-round clash. The Bulgarian led Zizou Bergs 6-3, 2-4 when their meeting was suspended on Saturday, and upon resumption he battled to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 triumph.

Dimitrov converted five of seven break points he earned against Bergs, according to Infosys ATP Stats, as the 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion consolidated 10th place in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. He will hope to build on his good start in Shanghai when he takes on Alexei Popyrin in the third round.

The forehand is firing 🔥@GrigorDimitrov continues to chase a place in Turin, increasing his #InAttack and delivering an impressive #ConversionScore with the help of his fantastic forehand 👏#TennisInsights | @atptour | @RolexSHMasters pic.twitter.com/2aXJN0RGWj

— Tennis Insights (@tennis_insights) October 7, 2024

Another member of the chasing pack in the Live Race, the 14th-placed Frances Tiafoe, made a solid start to his Shanghai campaign. The 13th seed prevailed 6-2, 6-4 against #NextGenATP home favourite Zhou Yi. It was a first win in Shanghai since 2017 for Tiafoe, who will next play Roman Safiullin. The World No. 61 Safiullin upset 23rd seed Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2 in a match moved to an indoor court because of the rain.

[NEWSLETTER FORM]