Carlos Alcaraz qualified for the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai without losing a set. The young Spanish champion has finally found his best feeling and is ready to express his best tennis in this last part of the season. The former world number 1 won in two sets against young Chinese Shang and Wu before taking revenge on French aceGael Monfils who had defeated him in Cincinnati this summer. Monfils played a good match today and tried to put Carlitos in trouble, who remained mentally solid and prevailed thanks to a break per set.
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The four-time Grand Slam champion seems to have regained a lot of confidence after winning the ATP 500 in Beijing last week, defeating his great rival Jannik Sinner in one of the most spectacular matches of the entire season. Fans dream of seeing a new chapter in their rivalry right here in Shanghai, but both will have to watch out for their next opponents.
Sinner will face Daniil Medvedev for the fifth time this year, while Alcaraz is waiting for a very talented player like Tomas Machac. The Spaniard already faced the Czech ace in the Davis Cup less than a month ago, with Machac forced to retire after winning the first set due to cramps.
Another win
The 21-year-old from Murcia has almost no chance of returning to the top of the ATP rankingby the end of this year, but will have to defend his second place from the onslaught of Alexander Zverev.Carlitos wants to achieve a great result in the Masters 1000 in Shanghai, but he will have to avoid any loss of concentration at the tournaments highlight.
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The main thing was that I stayed calm. I controlled my emotions. I waited for my opportunities. I had the chance to break him several times in the second set, but I couldn't convert them. In those moments, I stayed calm and believed that more chances would come. I tried to remain as calm as possible. That helped me a lot to display my best tennis throughout the match. I feel the ball very well. Much better than during the North American tour Alcaraz said after his win over Monfils.
The Spaniard was also asked about a possible semi-final against Sinner: It's always something on your mind. I always want to go far in the tournaments I play, which means I will face the best in the world. One of the goals is to reach the semis. We'll see if he also achieves it. I have watched him play before my matches. He is performing at a high level. Watching him play helps me put on a great show when I step on the court. We'll see tomorrow if we can meet in the semis. Happy that both of us are progressing.
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Carlitos and Jannik have proved that they can become two true legends of this sport. The Italian won the Australian Open and the US Open this year, while the Spanish became the youngest ever to win the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships. Their rivalry has already created some truly iconic matches, such as the ATP 500 final in Beijing last week.
These two young champions respect each other even off the court and shared the same plane to move from Beijing to Shanghai. Despite having had many more ups and downs than Sinner this year, Alcaraz has won four titles and proved once again to be a predestined.
Carlitosloves golf
The former world number 1 is able to express a very high level of play and its complete tennis loves fans all over the world. The Spaniard has been very affectionate since the first day he practiced in China and had a lot of fun interacting with fans. The four-time Grand Slam champion has impeccable behavior on and off the tennis court, although he loves to show his emotions.
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Carlitos loves to relax playing golf when he doesnt play tennis and he has done so in China: It's something new this year. It was a great idea from the tournament. Many players are playing golf. I'm a big fan. Also my team. We have a lot of fun playing mini-golf. We enjoy it a lot. We make bets, so we have a kind of competition among us. It has been a great idea from the tournament. Today I will play again. We spend many hours doing nothing at tournaments, so it's a great way to pass the time and kill the waits. For example, on previous rainy days, it's great to be able to play this.
