No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany survived a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (1) slugfest against No. 19 Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in Tuesday’s fourth-round action at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.
Zverev tallied 15 aces and 49 winners in a match that lasted 2 hours and 38 minutes, needing all of them to overcome 20 aces and 46 winners by Bublik.
Bublik saved five of six break points but damaged his upset chances with eight double faults. He committed 36 unforced errors — 13 more than Zverev, who fought off three straight set points in the first-set tiebreaker.
“Really difficult match,” Zverev said during his on-court interview. “I had some physical issues so, you know, I was maybe slower. My ankle was acting up unfortunately again. I’m starting to feel my body more, but happy to be through.”
It was the first match for Zverev since learning Monday that he was guaranteed to finish the year with the No. 1 world ranking.
Zverev will take on No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals after the Australian’s 6-3, 6-4 defeat of No. 26 Karen Khachanov of Russia. De Minaur saved the only break point he faced in the 86-minute match.
No. 25 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain rallied for a 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in 2 hours and 4 minutes.
Davidovich Fokina saved nine of 12 break points and withstood 21 aces from Hurkacz, who lost despite posting more winners (40-34) and fewer unforced errors (32-22).
Davidovich Fokina’s quarterfinal opponent is unseeded Frenchman Arthur Gea, a 7-6 (4), 6-4 winner against No. 13 seed Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.
“I’m enjoying how I’m playing,” said the 56th-ranked Gea, the lowest-ranked player remaining in the draw at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament. “I feel I’m improving all the time.”
Gea delivered 11 aces and saved both break points he faced to advance in 97 minutes. Mensik couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead in the first-set tiebreaker and suffered the match’s only service break in the fifth game of the second set.
Gea was asked about re-creating last year’s “miracle” that saw Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot win the tournament with a ranking of No. 204 in the world.
“I don’t think it’s miracle when you work hard every day, but I hope to do the same,” he said.
–Field Level Media
