Shanghai: Just days after his thrilling victory over Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final, Carlos Alcaraz continued his dominant form at the Shanghai Masters and eased past Chinese rising star Shang Juncheng with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win in the second round.
Alcaraz, who is three years older than his 18-year-old opponent, admitted it felt unusual to face someone younger than himself on the ATP Tour. “I’m not used to playing against players younger than me,” Alcaraz said after the match. “He has been playing good tennis lately, lifting his first ATP [title in Chengdu], so I’m pretty sure he’s going to climb the rankings. I’m just happy to be able to win these kinds of matches.”
From the outset, Alcaraz put on a show for the Shanghai crowd, opening the match by winning the first nine points and immediately breaking Shang’s serve. The Spaniard’s aggressive net play, soft hands, and powerful returns kept his opponent on the back foot throughout. Alcaraz converted four of seven break points and won all seven of his net approaches.
One of the highlights of the match came early in the second set when Alcaraz, after being forced to retreat, pulled off a spectacular backward flick to rescue a point. He went on to win that rally and saved the only break point he faced in the match to maintain his 3-1 lead. Shang, visibly overmatched but maintaining good humor, could only smile after a booming return from Alcaraz sealed another game for the third seed.
Despite the loss, Shang left the court with a memorable experience. “At the net, he told me that it’s a pleasure to share the court with you,” Alcaraz said of his opponent. “These kinds of things that I hear from younger players, it’s great.”
Alcaraz, who hasn’t lost a match since his surprise second-round exit at the US Open, will now face another Chinese star, Wu Yibing, in the third round.
–IANS