Tomas Machac knocks world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz out of Shanghai Masters
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Tomas Machac (above) will now face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SHANGHAI – Tomas Machac put an end to world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz’s 12-match winning streak in emphatic fashion on Oct 10 with a 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 victory at the Shanghai Masters.
The 33rd ranked Czech edged out the four-time Grand Slam champion in a closely fought first-set tiebreak after neither player was able to break the opponent’s serve.
Spain’s Alcaraz appeared to be struggling at the beginning of the second set but broke in the sixth game to level.
However, Machac powered back and broke his opponent again in the 11th game to claim the shock quarter-final victory.
Alcaraz, 21, said he was “a little bit disappointed about today’s loss”.
“I really wanted to go further, to play against Jannik (Sinner), but that’s tennis I guess. I just have to accept it,” he said post-match.
“I felt like I was playing against top five – his level was so high. It was unbelievable, it was crazy for me.”
Machac, meanwhile, said he had “no other option” when playing against Alzaraz.
“Against him, I have to play this well to beat him,” the 23-year-old said. “I knew that the level of my tennis would be great because I am playing the best right now, for sure.
“I beat Tommy Paul (in my) last match with an unbelievable performance.
“With these types of players, I have to play this level otherwise it’s 6-2, 6-3 (and) you go home, there is no other option. I am happy I managed to play like this for two sets.”
The task does not get any easier for Machac, who will now face world No. 1 Sinner in the last four.
He will aim to level his head-to-head series with the Italian after falling to a 6-4, 6-2 loss in the Miami Open quarter-finals in March.
“I am looking forward to it,” Machac said of facing Sinner. “I am really enjoying it and am happy that I can play against the best (players).”
Sinner had a surprisingly straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory over an injured Daniil Medvedev to reach the last four.
Jannik Sinner (above) had a surprisingly straightforward 6-1, 6-4 victory over an injured Daniil Medvedev to reach the last four.
PHOTO: AFP
In the first set, which lasted only 25 minutes, the Italian broke Medvedev in the second and sixth games to murmurs of surprise from the crowd.
The Russian kept holding his shoulder, which he had said the day before had “some niggles”, and received medical attention several times during the match.
“I’m obviously very happy. I think we know each other very well... It was a very tactical match,” said Sinner.
“It felt like he had a bit of shoulder pain and couldn’t hit his forehand as well as he wished to. Hopefully he can recover as fast as possible, but from my side it was a great match, a great battle, and let’s see what I can do now in the semi-finals.
“It’s a great feeling to be in the semis here, it’s a very special tournament.”
This was the fifth time Medvedev and Sinner have met in the deeper stages of tournaments this season.
Sinner beat Medvedev in the semi-finals in Miami, the quarter-finals of the US Open and the Australian Open final, but the Russian ended the Italian’s hopes in the last eight at Wimbledon in an epic five-set battle.
Sinner had hoped to meet Alcaraz again after the Spaniard defeated him in the China Open final
In women’s tennis at the WTA event in Wuhan, world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka survived a scare before defeating Yulia Putintseva 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the last 16.
The Belarusian will face Pole Magdalena Frech, who beat Brazilian Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-2, for a place in the semi-finals. AFP, REUTERS
