Sinner beats Shelton 2-0 and is in the Shanghai quarterfinals with Medvedev

Jannik Sinner sails towards the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters 1000, taking revenge on Ben Shelton who had eliminated him in the round of 16 in 2023. Sinner puts in a true performance as a true number 1, slipping into the few cracks offered by the left-handed number 16 to the world. Shelton is often unplayable at serve, but when Jannik manages to get the exchange started he brings personality, tactics and experience to bear. It ends 6-4 7-6 and now for the no.1 there is, once again, Daniil Medvedev who beat Tsitsipas 7-6(3) 6-3.

HE MATCH

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Shelton immediately tries to be a threat and goes to break points twice in the fourth game. The left-handed’s serves are boulders, but with the class of the number 1 Sinner doesn’t let himself be overwhelmed and starts the exchange as soon as he can. The big opportunity, the first for Sinner, arrives in the ninth game. Great defenses from the world number 1 and some rushing errors for Shelton who gives up serve and allows the world number 1 to serve for the first set. Jannik doesn’t let it happen again, he closes to zero and takes home the first set 6-4. Second set with Sinner starting again with a serve that was up to the rival’s level, but there was great balance between the two until the sixth game: Jannik made three errors and twice allowed the American to go to break point. He manages to save himself despite a bad game and leads 3-3. In the eighth game, big trouble at Sinner’s house. Two errors from him and a winner from Shelton: he ends up down 0-40, then with 3 aces and a first winner he puts a game that seemed lost back on track, 4-4. Jannik fails to break through and the second set, in which Jannik saved 5 break points, is decided at the tie break and here is the stuff of phenomenon: he immediately snatches two serves from the American, goes up 4-1 and then closes 7- 1. Without history.