World no. 1 Jannik Sinner notched his 61st victory of the season in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. The Italian faced Tomas Martin Etcheverry and scored a 6-7, 6-4, 6-2 triumph in two hours and 39 minutes, moving into the last 16.
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The Argentine fought well against the world's best player, stealing the opener after defending two set points and coming from a break down in set number two. Still, Sinner shifted into a higher gear and claimed ten of the final 12 games, moving over the top and avoiding spending more time on the court.
Jannik served at 70% and saved four of five break points. Tomas Martin landed in 52% of first serves, remaining competitive for a set and a half and dominating with his first serve. However, he played against 13 break points and gave serve away four times, struggling in all but one service game since the middle of the second set.
Sinner landed 39 winners and 26 unforced errors, missing more than against Taro Daniel in the first match.
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He bested the rival's 29-32 ratio and followed his number of service winners.
The Italian had the upper hand from the baseline and forged the win in the shortest range up to four strokes, as nothing separated them in the mid-range and most advanced ones. World no. 1 was off to a good start, holding at love in the first game after a booming serve.
Etcheverry held in the second game with a service winner, adding his name to the scoreboard. Jannik claimed an entertaining point in the third game and closed it with a forced error, opening a 2-1 advantage. The Argentine produced another fine hold in the fourth game, landing an ace and locking the result at 2-2.
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Sinner found himself 30-0 behind in the fifth game. He kept his composure and landed three winners en route to a hold, avoiding an early setback. Tomas Martin felt no pressure behind the initial shot in the sixth game, presenting another solid display and drawing the rival's mistake for a hold and 3-3.
Jannik Sinner defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry in three sets in Shanghai.
The Italian found himself 0-30 on serve in the seventh game and faced a break point, denying it with an ace and bringing it home after the rival's backhand mistake.
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Etcheverry netted a routine forehand in the eighth game, presenting world no. 1 with his first break point. The lower-ranked player denied it with a service winner and terminated the game with an ace for 4-4. Jannik embraced a serve & volley combo in the ninth game, holding at love and causing the rival's mistake two games later for a 6-5 advantage.
Tomas Martin served to stay in the set for the second time in game 12 and faced two set points. He denied both after Sinner's backhand mistakes and held with a forehand drive-volley winner, introducing a tie break. They traded mini-breaks in the opening points, and the Argentine attacked for a 3-1 advantage.
Etcheverry passed the two-time Major winner at the net in the fifth point, delivering another mini-break and taking a 5-2 advantage after welcoming Sinner's forehand mistake.
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The Argentine landed a crafty winner in the ninth point for a mini-break and three set points, seizing the first after the Italian's mistake at the net for 7-6 after 62 minutes.
They served well in the opening four games of the second set, staying neck and neck. World no. 1 cracked a forehand down the line winner in the fifth game, earning the first break of the match after an hour and 24 minutes. Instead of building on that, Jannik played a loose service game in the next one, allowing his opponent to crack a forehand winner and pull the break back.
Sinner made a fresh start and landed a volley winner in the seventh game for break chances. He seized the first after Etcheverry's volley error, delivering his second straight break and terminating the rival's resistance. The Italian fired an ace in the eighth game and wrapped up the set with a hold at love at 5-4, striking a service winner and introducing a decider after an hour and 47 minutes.
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Despite the smaller number of games, the decider lasted longer than the second set.
Tomas Martin denied three break points at the beginning, keeping his composure and holding with a forced error.
Still, he missed a forehand in the third game and lost serve, sending world no. 1 closer to the finish line. Jannik cracked a forehand down the line winner in the fourth game for 3-1 and earned two break points in the next one.
The Argentine saved them and remained in touch before creating a massive opportunity to pull the break back and erase the deficit. Sinner erased three break points and wrapped up the game with a crafty winner at the net, moving 4-2 in front and receiving an injection of pace.
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The Italian attacked on the return in the seventh game and drew the rival's mistake for a break and a 5-2 advantage. Jannik fired three winners for match points and held at love after another fine attack and Tomas Martin's mistake, moving into the last 16.
