Carlos Alcaraz overcame Gregoire Barrére 6-2 7-5 in their first head-to-head match to reach the third round on the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
Alcaraz saved six of seven break points he faced (three chances at 0-2 and three at 15 in the opening set) to improve his record to 15-0 in opening matches this season.
Alcaraz raced out to a 4-0 lead with a double break in the first and third games. Alcaraz saved three points in the sixth game to hold serve at deuce and served out at 15 in the eighth game.
Alcaraz broke serve in the seventh game of the first set to take a 4-3 lead. Barrere broke straight back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Alcaraz earned his second break in the 11th game and served out the second set at 15. Alcaraz has improved his seasonal record to 62 wins to 8 defeats in ATP Tour matches.
Alcaraz bounced back from his defeat against Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the China Open in Beijing.
Alcaraz will face either Daniel Evans or Mikhail Kukushkin in the third round. The Spaniard is aiming to move past Novak Djokovic into first place in the ATP Race to Turin by reaching the final in Shannghai.
“I had just one practice here in Shanghai and then the match. I think he was more used to these conditions. He had more practice, a match in the bag, so it was really difficult to adapt to my game in a new city, new conditions, but I think I did pretty well. I played really focused. I tried to take lessons from the last match in Beijing and tried to be a better player. I tried not to make the mistakes I did in Beijing and I think today I did pretty well”, said Alcaraz.
Taylor Fritz edged past Yosuke Watanuki 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (6-8) 6-4. Watanuki earned an early break in the first game of the opening set and came just two points from winning the first set. Fritz broke back in the 10thgame to draw level to 5-5. Fritz earned two mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-2.
Watanuki saved a break point at 1-1 before breaking serve in the sixth game of the second set to take a 4-2 lead. Watanuki earned a break point at 5-2 but Fritz saved it with an ace.
Fritz broke back to draw level to 5-5. Fritz earned two mini-breaks to take a 5-1 lead. Watanuki pulled back on serve to draw level to 5-5. Watanuki saved a match point at 5-6 and won the final three points to close out the tie-break 8-6. Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Fritz earned the decisive break in the third set.
Matteo Arnaldi came back from a break down twice in the third set to beat Jan Lennard Struff 6-3 3-6 6-4 in 2 hours and 20 minutes. Arnaldi will face either J.J Wolf or Cameron Norrie.
Arnaldi earned a break in the sixth game to win the first set 6-3. Struff broke in the fourth game to clinch the second set 6-3. The third set featured five break points. Struff went up a break in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Arnaldi broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Struff converted his fourth break point in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. Arnaldi pulled back on serve for the second time to draw level to 4-4. Arnaldi saved a break point in the ninth game. Arnaldi broke serve at love in the 10th game after Struff made three unforced errors. Nicolas Jarry beat French Next Gen qualifier Terence Atmane 7-5 6-2. Jarry earned one break in the 11th game of the first set and twice in the fifth and seventh games of the second set. The Chilean player will take on either Frances Tiafoe or Lorenzo Sonego.
