Sinner speeds through in Shanghai, launches title defence
The Rolex Shanghai Masters has not been a happy hunting ground for defending champions in recent years, but Jannik Sinner made an impressive start to his bid for back-to-back titles on Saturday at the Chinese ATP Masters 1000.
The No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings eased past Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3 at Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena to kick-start his 2025 campaign. Sinner is bidding to become the first player to successfully defend the Shanghai title since Novak Djokovic in 2013 and arrived there fresh from lifting an ATP 500 title in Beijing on Wednesday. Against Altmaier, he picked up where he left off in the Chinese capital by producing a rock-solid one-hour, 38-minute display.
Facing Altmaier for the first time since his shock defeat to the German at 2023 Roland Garros, Sinner converted three of four break points he earned to set a third-round meeting with Tallon Griekspoor. The Italian now owns a 23-2 record in China, where he has won three titles (Beijing 2023 and 2025, Shanghai 2024), and he will enter his clash with Griekspoor holding a 6-0 lead in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
With Carlos Alcaraz missing Shanghai due to injury, the 24-year-old Sinner has the opportunity to boost his hopes of a return to World No. 1 this fortnight. If he beats Griekspoor, he will move to within 1,290 points of No. 1 Alcaraz in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, while he would close the gap to just 390 points by successfully defending his title.
Another member of the ATP No. 1 Club, Daniil Medvedev, also booked his third-round spot in quickfire fashion on Saturday. The 16th seed, who rediscovered his form to reach the semi-finals in Beijing, settled quickly in Shanghai to overcome qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-1, 6-1. Medvedev struck 22 winners and made just nine unforced errors in his 60-minute win.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be 2019 champion Medvedev’s next opponent, after the Spaniard defeated Matteo Arnaldi 6-4, 6-4, while Learner Tien, who has defeated Medvedev twice in 2025 including in the Beijing semi-finals, is also alive in the same section of the draw. The #NextGenATP American rallied past Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in his second-round match to set a meeting with Cameron Norrie.
More to follow…
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