No problem for Carlos Alcaraz who comfortably disposes of Cerundolo to commence Shanghai Masters title charge

Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 14:31

Carlos Alcaraz at Japan Open hitting ball

Carlos Alcaraz makes a winning return to the Shanghai Masters. He defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 to commence his title challenge.

He makes his return to the tournament, and to China for that matter, for the first time since 2024. The Spaniard has never collected the ultimate prize in Shanghai and will be desperate to seal more glory.

While not at his blistering best in Tokyo, Alcaraz was still too strong for the rest of the field as he won the Japan Open. An ominous sign for the rest of the competition, and with Novak Djokovic already having bowed out of the event, Alcaraz is one of the big favourites to go the distance.

It would not be the most straightforward opening test. Cerundolo is best known for his unexpected upset win over Jannik Sinner back at Roland Garros earlier this year. He came back against a struggling Sinner to win in five sets but was not able to produce a similar result this time round.

Alcaraz left it late to break in the first set. He followed it up with a break of serve right at the start of the second set with nothing coming back at him. He got the job done against the serve.

Alcaraz up and running in Shanghai

It was Cerundolo from the off putting a bit of pressure on the Alcaraz serve, but no break points were created. In turn, he dropped just one point in his opening two service games before a hold to love by Alcaraz got him in the contest.

The No.2 seed was in his groove, and a game later managed to find the breakthrough. With his second break point, he converted it to take a 4-2 lead. Alcaraz did not concede another point on serve for the rest of the set. That is a recipe for success as he clinches a dominant lead.

It would get even better. A break of serve right at the start of the set was backed up by another hold to love. That was six of the last seven games that went the way of Alcaraz who started to stretched his legs.

Read also

Another two break points came and went as Cerundolo stayed in the contest for the time being. A hold closed the gap to 4-3, but he could not afford anymore slip-ups as the 23-year-old moved to the brink of reaching the third round.

Alcaraz was not waiting around. He got the job done with his second match point against the serve, and is in the third round with no issues.

Lucas MichaelTennis Journalist

Lucas Michael is a tennis journalist based in Cambridge, UK, specializing in comprehensive coverage of the ATP and WTA tours. For the past 1.5 years, he has been a core contributor to TennisUpToDate, where he has authored more than 3,000 data-driven match reports, deep-dive analysis pieces, and engaging liveblogs.

Lucas pairs real-time statistical analysis with on-the-ground reporting, frequently traveling to tournaments to cover the action firsthand from the press box and player press conferences. This blend of advanced metrics and direct access allows him to provide sharp context regarding player form, tactical trends, and breaking tour developments.

He holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. Grounded in core journalistic ethics, Lucas places a strict emphasis on meticulous sourcing, editorial accuracy, and a commitment to updating live content swiftly as verified information emerges.

See author's posts

claps 0visitors 0

Mirra Andreeva confirms major ranking breakthrough after reaching China Open final

"I still have a hard time talking to him, I feel a bit intimidated" - Flavio Cobolli confirms links to Ferrero lead to dead end