Matching Report
Alcaraz makes it 10th consecutive win in Shanghai debut
The Beijing champion defeats China’s Shang
October 05, 2024
Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images
Carlos Alcaraz improves to 2-0 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series against Shang Juncheng.
By ATP staff
Three days after beating Jannik Sinner in three sets to win the Beijing title, Carlos Alcaraz picked up where he left off on Saturday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Spaniard notched his 10th straight win with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Chinese #NextGenATP superstar Shang Juncheng.
“I’m not used to playing with players younger than me,” said the 21-year-old Alcaraz, two years Shang’s senior. “He has been playing good tennis recently, lifting his first ATP title [title in Chengdu]so I’m sure you’ll level up. I’m just happy to be able to win these kinds of games.
“On the net, he told me that it was a pleasure to share with you in court. So these are the things I feel about him [younger players]good.”
Always eager to put on a show, Alcaraz drew the Shanghai crowd’s breath away with the third point of the game, when he followed a daring net with great passion and soft hands to go up 0-40 in the opening game. The Spaniard won the first nine points on court and never looked back, winning four of seven break points and all seven of his net points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
Welcome to @carlosalcaraz show 🤩@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/PZtEpXoPPX
– ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2024
The moment of the match came early in the second set, when a rebounding Alcaraz fired back to salvage a point. Alcaraz escaped to win that long exchange, then got out of trouble on the scoreboard by saving his one break point to take a 3-1 lead. As he closed out the win, the stunning comeback drew laughter from Shang who was aiming to become the first Chinese player to defeat a Top 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings.
Alcaraz will meet another Chinese star in the third round of Shanghai, where he will play his first Lexus ATP Head2Head match against Wu Yibing. The third seed is unbeaten since a stunning second-round loss to Botic van de Zandschulp at the US Open. Having played just three matches on the hard courts of North America beyond Cincinnati and New York, the Spaniard said he feels fresh in the home season of the ATP Tour.
