Canadian tennis stars smoothly progressed to the third round of the Shanghai Masters men’s tennis event on Saturday. Felix Auger-Aliassime, hailing from Montreal and seeded 12th, secured a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo. Similarly, Denis Shapovalov, representing Richmond Hill, Ont., and seeded 23rd, triumphed in straight sets against Australia’s Christopher O’Connell with a score of 6-3, 6-2.
Auger-Aliassime and Shapovalov are set to compete next on Monday, facing off against Jesper De Jong from the Netherlands and Jiri Lehecka from the Czech Republic, respectively. Another Canadian contender, Gabriel Diallo, is scheduled to play against David Goffin from Belgium in the third round on Sunday.
During Saturday’s matches, defending champion Jannik Sinner commenced his title defense impressively by defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3, seeking revenge for a loss suffered two years ago at the French Open. This win marked Sinner’s sixth consecutive victory following his recent triumph at the China Open in Beijing.
Reflecting on his performance, Sinner acknowledged the challenges of adapting to the conditions in Shanghai, emphasizing the increased humidity and physical demands. He expressed the need for a balanced approach to practice and recovery after securing a title, prioritizing physical well-being for future matches.
Notably, top-ranked player Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai tournament due to a left ankle injury. In another match, seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur progressed by defeating Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-4, 6-2, following his semifinal loss to Sinner in Beijing.
The upcoming third-round clash for Sinner is against Tallon Griekspoor, whom he has dominated in their previous encounters, leading 6-0 in career meetings.