Organisers ready to break rules for Sinner and Alcaraz, claims Portuguese publication

The organisers of the Shanghai Masters are reportedly willing to break rules to accommodate the world number one Jannik Sinner and Spain’s young tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz. The ATP 1000 event started in the city of Shanghai on Wednesday where players from all over the world are participated to showcase their talent and secure the ultimate prize.

Two of the best players in the singles category in the competition will be Italy’s Sinner and Spain’s Alcaraz. They both were involved in a thrilling final of the recently concluded China Open, where the current world number two came out on top with a score of 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 on Wednesday. As per the Portuguese publication Sport, the organisers of the Shanghai Masters are ready to break the rules to accommodate both players and give them an extended break after a breathtaking final which lasted more than three hours.

As per the original schedule, both players were supposed to play on Friday in round two of the competition. However, the report stated that their fixtures could not move to Saturday. Sinner is set to face Japan’s Taro Daniel in his tournament opener. The 31-year-old defeated Egor Gerasimov in the round of 128 clash with a score of 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. It will be only the second time that both players face off in professional tennis. Their only previous meeting was in the round of 32 of the Australian Open in 2022, where Sinner came out on top with a score of 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.

On the other hand, Alcaraz is set to face China’s Juncheng Shang in his first match of the tournament. The 19-year-old defeated Coleman Wong in the tournament opener in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4. It will be the second meeting between the two. In the previous meeting, which was in the round of 32 of the Australian Open earlier this year, Alcaraz was declared the winner after Shang withdrew because of a fitness concern.