MATCH REPORT | 2024 Shanghai Masters: Carlos Alcaraz survives stern test from home hero Yibing Wu

After his debut in the Shanghai Masters 2024 last Saturday, October 5, a day later Carlos Alcaraz had to face a tough challenge against the local hero Wu Yibing in search of the qualification for the round of 16 of the tournament.

Although the first set was very complicated, Carlitos managed to take the match in two sets (7-6, 6-3) to qualify to the round of 16 where he will face the winner of the match between Gael Monfils and Ugo Humbert.

In the first set, the opening games were played with both players very solid with their respective serves. In fact, the first break point would not come until 4-4, with Yibing on serve. Alcaraz managed to get 14-40, but the Chinese added 4 consecutive points to turn the situation around and put the 4-5 in their favor.

Except for those two break opportunities that Carlitos had, he was not going to see a single one more in the whole set, which meant that the two players went 6-6 to the tiebreak to see who would end up taking it. In the tie break, Wu Yibing started pressuring Carlos Alcaraz with a mini break that left him 0-2 up.

However, the Spaniard was to respond quickly with another mini break to get 2-3, and go to the change of side with 3-3 on the scoreboard. Even so, the Chinese again surprised Alcaraz with another mini break that left him 3-4 up and with two serves. But Carlitos recovered again, and ended up taking the first set 7-5 in the tiebreaker.

In the second set, with the confidence that gave him to win the first in a very tight tie break, Carlos Alcaraz took his initial service games with solvency. But the problem is that Wu Yibing had not slowed the pace despite the previous setback. Until the 3-2 was not going to get a single break ball.

But in the next game the key moment of the match was going to happen. With Yibing on serve, Carlitos was 30-40 up, and at the first opportunity he had he broke his opponent's serve to take a 4-2 lead, with the possibility of going up to 5-2 if he could confirm the break.

In the end, Alcaraz confirmed the break and was one game away from victory, which he would get after closing the second set by a score of 6-3. In the round of 16, Alcaraz will face the winner of the French duel between Gael Monfils and Ugo Humbert.