Canadian tennis players had a successful outing at the Shanghai Masters men’s tennis tournament over the weekend, with both Felix Auger-Aliassime from Montreal and Denis Shapovalov from Richmond Hill, Ont., securing victories to advance to the third round. Auger-Aliassime, seeded 12th, triumphed over Alejandro Tabilo from Chile with a score of 6-3, 6-3, while the 23rd seed Shapovalov defeated Christopher O’Connell from Australia in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2.
The Canadian duo is set to play their next matches on Monday, facing off against Jesper De Jong from the Netherlands and Jiri Lehecka from the Czech Republic, respectively. Another Canadian player, Gabriel Diallo, is scheduled to compete against David Goffin from Belgium in the third round on Sunday.
In a separate match on Saturday, defending champion Jannik Sinner began his title defense with a strong performance, defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3. This victory marked Sinner’s sixth consecutive win following his recent triumph at the China Open in Beijing.
Reflecting on his win, Sinner acknowledged the challenges of adapting to the tournament’s conditions, stating, “I knew before the match it was going to be very difficult today.” The Italian player emphasized the need for physical readiness and balance post his Beijing victory, highlighting the differences in playing environments between the two tournaments.
Additionally, seventh-seeded Alex de Minaur secured his spot in the next round with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli. Meanwhile, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the Shanghai Masters due to a left ankle injury, altering the competition dynamics. Sinner is now set to face Tallon Griekspoor in the third round, holding a dominant 6-0 record in their career meetings.
