Alcaraz upset by Machac in Shanghai and Sabalenka rallies in Wuhan

 

[October 11, 2024]  SHANGHAI (AP) — No. 2-ranked Carlos Alcaraz's 12-match winning streak was ended by Tomas Machac 7-6 (5), 7-5 in the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals on Thursday.

It was No. 33 Machac's third tour-level quarterfinal, and the Czech player proved more than a match for the four-time major-winning Spaniard as he earned his second win over a top-five opponent this year in two hours.

Machac will play top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the semifinals.

“I knew that the level of my tennis would be great because I am playing the best right now, for sure,” Machac said. “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.

Alcaraz, who won the China Open in a thriller against Sinner last week, learned of Rafael Nadal's retirement announcement shortly before going on court but said the news about his idol hadn't affected his match.

“It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me,” Alcaraz said. "He has been my idol since I start playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he’s going to play.

"But we are going to play in Saudi Arabia, and then Davis Cup, so I’m going to try to enjoy as much as I can the time with him. But, yeah, it is a shame for tennis and for me."

Sinner advanced to his fifth ATP Masters semifinal of the season when the Italian swept aside fifth-ranked Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

Sinner started strongly and only faced one break point in his 6-1, 6-4 masterclass over the Russian, who needed treatment on his shoulder from the physio during the second set.

“I’m very happy how I handled today and this match,” Sinner said. “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 semifinals.”

With Thursday's win, the two-time major winner has leveled his head-to-head series against Medvedev at 7-7, but has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Russian.

Wuhan Open

Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka rallied from a set down to beat No. 35 Yulia Putintseva 1-6, 6-4, 6-0 to maintain her undefeated record at the Wuhan Open and rise to the top of the WTA rankings.

Thursday's win for the Belarussian allowed her to regain top spot in the rankings from Iga Swiatek, who is absent from the women’s Asian swing citing personal reasons and fatigue.

Sabalenka, the U.S. Open champion, is 14-0 in Wuhan after winning the title on her first appearance in 2018 and defending her crown in 2019 before the tournament took a five-year hiatus from the calendar due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic plays a backhand return against Carlos Alcaraz of Spain during the men's singles quarterfinals match in the Shanghai Masters tennis tournament at Qizhong Forest Sports City Tennis Center in Shanghai, China, Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

The three-time major winner started slowly but roared to life during the second set and carried that momentum through the decider to clinch a quarterfinal spot against Beatriz Haddad-Maia or Magdalena Frech.

Sabalenka finished with 44 winners to 33 unforced errors, while holding Putintseva to 13 winners and 14 unforced errors.

Coco Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-1 rout of 17th-ranked Marta Kostyuk.

It was the fourth-ranked Gauff's eighth consecutive win after the American won the China Open last week which moved her back into the top five in the rankings.

Gauff fired two aces and broke the Ukrainian's serve five times — for the loss of one of her own — as she clinched a one-sided match and extended her lead in their head-to-head series to 3-1.

Next for Gauff is No. 45-ranked Magda Linette, who continued her impressive form this week by beating eighth-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-2, 6-3.

“She’s a tough opponent,” Gauff said of Linette. "We haven’t played since (the U.S. Open in 2021). I really don’t know what to expect. But just from watching her play, she’s been playing a great couple of matches here in Wuhan.

"I expect it to be a tough match. She’s not an easy opponent."

Gauff will be the only American left in the draw after third-ranked Jessica Pegula and tour rookie Hailey Baptiste lost.

Pegula, the U.S. Open finalist, had a tough afternoon against the 51st-ranked Wang Xinyu of China, who was dominant on serve throughout and clinched a 6-3, 7-5 win.

Wang had won their only previous meeting in three sets in the second round at Wimbledon and got off to a fast start here by breaking Pegula twice in the opening set to take the lead.

After her first win over a top-10 player in the previous round, Baptiste was routed by Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-1, 6-1.

Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen rallied to beat Leylah Fernandez 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 and sixth-ranked Jasmine Paolini defeated Erika Andreeva 6-3, 6-2.

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