ATP 1000 Shanghai Open

Seeds

1     Jannik Sinner         

2      Alexander Zverev  

3      Carlos Alcaraz   

4      Novak Djokovic   

5       Danill Medvedev  

6       Andrey Rublev

7       Taylor Fritz        

8       Casper Ruud

9      Grigor Dimitrov  

10    Stefanos Tsitsipass

11    Tommy Paul

12    Holger Rune   

13    Frances   Tiafoe

14    Ben Shelton

15    Lorenzo Musetti  

16    Ugo Humbert   

17    Jack  Draper 

18    Felix Augur-Aliassime

19    Alejandro Tabilo 

20    Alexei Popyrin 

21    Arthur Fils       

22    Sebastian Baez 

23     Alexander Bublik

24    Karen Khachanov

25    Nicolas Jarry

26    Jordan Thompson 

27    Francisco Cerundolo

28     Flavio Cobolli 

29    Matteo Arnaldi

30    Tomas Machac

31    Tomas Martin Etcheverry  

32     Brandon Nakashima         

33      Jiri Helecka 

Jack Draper withdrew from the tournament so the organizers added Jiri Helecka as a 33rd seed to the seeded players.          

ROUND 2

Top Half of the Draw

 1    Jannik Sinner                                 vs    31     Tomas Martin Etcheverry

14    Ben Shelton                                   vs       Roberto Carballes Baena

10    Stefanos Tsitsipass                        vs       Alexandre Muller

5       Danill Medvedev                          vs    29    Matteo Arnaldi 

3      Carlos Alcaraz                               vs       Yibing Wu  

16    Ugo Humbert                                 vs      Gael Monfils 

11    Tommy Paul                                   vs        19     Alejandro Tabilo

30    Tomas Machac                               vs       Aleksandar Vukic 

Bottom Half of the Draw  

Jakub Mensik                                         vs       Alexander Chevchenko

9      Grigor Dimitrov                             vs    20    Alexei Popyrin

13      Frances Tiafoe                              vs       Roman Safiullin

4      Novak Djokovic                             vs    28     Flavio Cobolli

7      Taylor Fritz                                    vs       Yosuke  Watanuki

12    Holger Rune                                  vs      33     Jiri Helecka

 Marcos Giron                                       vs        David Goffin

2      Alexander Zverev                         vs        Tallon Griekspoor

The Round two matches are te first Round involving seeds and  in that Round seeds will al play unseeded players,  

In Round 3 seeds may play other seeds for the first time in Round 3 .

ROUND 3

Top Half of the Draw

 1    Jannik Sinner                                    vs     14    Ben Shelton

5       Danill Medvedev                            vs    10    Stefanos Tsitsipass

3      Carlos Alcaraz                                 vs     Gael Monfils 

11    Tommy Paul                                    vs     30    Tomas Machac

Bottom Half of the Draw

9      Grigor Dimitrov                               vs     Jakub Mensik

4      Novak Djokovic                              vs      Roman Safiullin

7      Taylor Fritz                                      vs      12      Holger Rune

2      Alexander Zverev                            vs      David Goffin 

This series is rapidly becoming  a head ache. due to the  weather conditions in Shanghai.   There were supposedly 12 Round 1 matches to be completed yesterday and aside from that there  were supposed  to be 10 round 2 matches to be completed today.    So far in te case of none of the 12 round 2 matches and the 10 round 3 matches to be played today there was thus far only 1 Round 3 match completed and  only aother at present under way.  Taking the above into account the back log of matches will increase to  over 30 by tomoorow 

It seems like  Rublev and Ruud is detemined to leave the Top 10 rankings - same as already happened to  Hurkacz.     In the two cases involved they self-destruct in matches based on psychological collapse reasons. - both should consult top class sport psychologists as a  matter of urgency,

According to the program  the Round 3 matches should be played tomorrow - but there are 12 Round 2 matches to be completed still.    So instead of the quarterinals being played on Wednesday  the Round 3 matches will have to be be played on that day  with the Quarterfinals  being  played on Thursday.   The Chinese must hope that the rain stops before tomorrow,      

QUARTERFINALS

ROUND 3

Top Half of the Draw

1    Jannik Sinner                                    vs         5    Danill Medvedev

3      Carlos Alcaraz                                vs       30    Tomas Machac

Bottom Half of the Draw

4      Novak Djokovic                              vs       Jakub Mensik

7      Taylor Fritz                                      vs       David Goffin 

A year ago when he was an 18 year old and still at school playing in a tounament I wrote that Mensik is a potential Top 10 Player,   He did not play continuously after that and ended up plaing in Shanghai and an interesting quarterfinal tomorrow it would be interesting to indicate the progress Mensik is making in his playing career.     In getting to h quaerfinal he beat 2 Top 10 players and if Djokovic thinks he would n easy passage into the semi-final he may be in for a surprize,   

FINAL

1    Jannik Sinner                                    vs        4      Novak Djokovic

TOURNAMENT WINNER

As expcted Jannik Sinner was the tournamen winner and he deserve the win 100% and is congratulated at this achievement.

Thus far this year Djokovic only achievemeent was in the Olympic Games gold medal - whixh is not part of he ATP tounment system annually - so is not recognized an ATP tournament.   There are two tournaments left thie year left - Djokovic last year and played in last year /and won - ie the ATP 500 Vienna Open or the ATP 500 Swiss Open  and the ATP 1000  Masters tournament left for him to play in  Will he win in those two tournaments?   Based on his performaces thus far this year it is very unlikey to happen.   He won both the Vienna and Paris tournaments  in 2023.

The only positive  for Djokovic is that after the Shaghai  tounament is that he is now in th top 8 qualifiers to play in the NITTO End of Year Championship in Turin - which he also won last year .   In other words he has a chance to win in a maxium of three further tournaments this year.   If his record thus far in tournaments this year it will the first time since 2007 that he would not have won a single  tournament this year,

If that happens will he follow the exmple of Nadal a nd make a farewell tour next year?