Carlos Alcaraz, the talented tennis star on a 12-match winning streak, saw his coming to an abrupt end at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. A stunned quarterfinal match resulted in the ouster of Czech player Tomas Machac, who upset the Spanish third seed with a score of 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. This marks the second time Machac has beaten a top-5 player and sends him directly to the semi-finals following what has been a breakthrough tournament for the world's No. 33.
Coming off a string of victories, including his title at the China Open this past weekend, where he defeated Jannik Sinner in the final, he was an imposing favorite for the match. But Machac, who drew confidence from his latest appearances, played out with impressive skill and composure. "I knew that the level of my tennis will be great because I'm playing the best right now, Machac said after the match. "With these types of players, I have to play this level; otherwise, it's 6-2, 6-3, and you go home. I'm happy I managed to play like this for two sets."
Though Alcaraz lost, he had been playing great tennis going into the tournament. He played a pivotal role in Team Europe's victory in the Laver Cup last month and showed his skill on the court in Beijing. Still, the shocking loss to Machac bodes badly for the unpredictability of the game, and it remains to be seen how resilient he will be in facing such tough matches in the days ahead.
Machac won after a grueling US Open where he was dumped out by Britain's Jack Draper and a previous encounter in the Davis Cup against Alcaraz after retiring because of cramping. The 23-year-old Czech player looked to be coming good in Shanghai, battling past Alcaraz in an extremely attritional contest that underlined his tenacity and tactical acumen. "I knew I had a chance to win, but even with a set and 5-4, you're still far from closing out the match," Machac added.
Machac will now face Jannik Sinner in the semis, one of the toughest opponents he might have faced on his way to this quarterfinal run. Sinner has etched his place as one of the world's best. Sinner moved past fifth seed Daniil Medvedev in a dominant 6-1, 6-4 victory, his seventh in his last eight meetings with Medvedev. Medvedev, who fought shoulder problems throughout the match, could not get anything going, handing over 25 unforced errors and having problems holding serve.
Sinner played poised and focused, saving just one break point as he dictated the rhythm of the whole one-hour, 24-minute contest. In other tennis action, Aryna Sabalenka survived a shaky start to defeat Yulia Putintseva at the Wuhan Open. Sabalenka, who had won just one game in the first set, found her footing in the second set and powered through for 1-6, 6-4, 6-0. She will now face Poland's Magdalena Frech, who upset ninth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-3, 6-2.
The biggest upset of the day came with China's Wang Xinyu as the home challenger sent second seed Jessica Pegula packing, 6-3, 7-5, and ran off steam. With Machac preparing for the semifinal against Sinner, tennis fans are once again reminded of the nature of the game, with the occasional opportunities given to players to take down favorites while making heroes out of established champions.
