Canadian tennis player Félix Auger-Aliassime has progressed to the Round of 16 at the Shanghai Masters. Seeded fourth in the annual hard court tournament held at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, the Montreal native defeated Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 in a match lasting nearly two hours.
Auger-Aliassime will now face Norway’s Casper Ruud in the upcoming round. Ruud, seeded 20th, secured his spot in the Round of 16 by defeating American Learner Tien 6-4, 7-6 (3).
During Sunday’s match, Auger-Aliassime recorded seven aces, 37 winners, two double faults, and 28 unforced errors, while Carreno Busta had five aces, 13 winners, two double faults, and 21 unforced errors. The Canadian won 12 out of 13 service games and four out of 13 receiving games, whereas Carreno Busta claimed nine out of 13 service games and only one out of 13 return games.
In the opening-round match at the ATP Masters 1000 event, Auger-Aliassime overcame Camilo Ugo Carabelli of Argentina with a score of 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-5.
Meanwhile, Zizou Bergs caused an upset by defeating second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz 7-5, 7-6 (4) to advance to the fourth round. Bergs clinched the victory with his ninth ace, marking a significant milestone in his career.
Bergs expressed his respect for top players but acknowledged that this win could boost his confidence in facing them. He emphasized his belief in his ability to not only compete but also defeat such opponents.
Next, Bergs is set to encounter Tommy Paul after the American eliminated defending champion Valentin Vacherot with a score of 6-4, 6-2.
The defeat of Alcaraz confirms that Alexander Zverev will conclude the year as the world’s No. 1 tennis player. Bergs showcased an impressive performance with 24 winners compared to his opponent’s 16 in the ATP 1000 tennis event.
Additionally, fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev had a comfortable victory over Dalibor Svrcina with a score of 6-2, 6-3. This marked Medvedev’s second consecutive win since the incident at the China Open where he accidentally hit a spectator with a ball.