By Richard Pagliaro | Thursday, October 13, 2016
Andy Murray won 21 of 22 points played on his first serve, shredding Lucas Pouille, 6-1, 6-3, to power into his 11th consecutive quarterfinal in Shanghai.
Photo credit: Shanghai Rolex Masters
Streaking forward, Lucas Pouille saw a stretched Andy Murray make contact, but was left lunging at air as the yellow ball blurred by him.
On his third match point, Murray buzzed an electric forehand pass down the line sealing a sharp 6-1, 6-3 dissection of Pouille that sent the Scot into his 11th consecutive quarterfinal at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
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It was a stylistic perfect storm as Pouille repeatedly rushed net only to see Murray often slash authoritative answers.
The second-ranked Murray served jusst 45 percent, but dominated on his first serve winning 21 of 22 points played on his first delivery.
The two-time Shanghai champion earned his ATP-best 62nd victory of the season. Murray, who has reached at least the semifinals in nine of his last 10 tournaments, will take on David Goffin, the man Murray beat to clinch Great Britain's Davis Cup championship last November, for a semifinal spot.
The 11th-seeded Goffin rallied past sixth-seeded Gael Monfils, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Gilles Simon counter-punched his way past third-seeded Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-4. It was Simon's first win over Wawrinka since the 2014 Shanghai.
Murray joined world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, the man he's chasing for the top spot, in the Shanghai last eight.
Blown out in the opening set, Jack Sock stormed back to save two match points edging Milos Raonic, 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8), in one hour, 52-minutes.
Sock snapped an eight match losing streak against Raonic, defeating the fifth-seeded Canadian for the first time since winning their first meeting at the 2013 Memphis tournament.
The 25th-ranked American saved match points down 6-7 and 7-8 in the tie break. Sock had lost nine straight tie breaks to Raonic before today.
“I’ve been on the other end of that three times last year,” Sock said. “We’ve had a lot of close matches in the past, it normally comes down to a few points against Milos. I’m happy to finally get one against him. It feels great.”
The Zverev brothers opened the day as the first siblings in the Round of 16 of a Masters 1000 event since Olivier and Christophe Rochus at 2006 Miami.
Both brothers went the distance, but only one advanced.
World No. 110 Mischa Zverev staved off all four break points he faced stopping Marcel Granollers, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-1.
The 29-year-old German qualifier advanced to a quarterfinal against defending champion Djokovic, who swept Canadian qualifier Vasek Pospisil, 6-4, 6-4. Djokovic converted three of six break points in an 80-minute win.
The three-time tournament champion raised his Shanghai record to 26-3 defeating Pospisil for the fourth time in as many meetings.
No. 9-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga rallied for a 6-7 (4), 6-2, 7-5 victory over 19-year-old Alexander Zverev. The 2015 Shanghai runner-up will meet Roberto Bautista Agut for a semifinal spot.
The 15th-seeded Spaniard broke serve four times in a 6-3, 6-3 sweep of Viktor Troicki, the day after the Serbian surprised 14-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in straight sets.