By Tennis Now | Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Novak Djokovic extended his perfect record vs. Jeremy Chardy, while Matthew Ebden edged Dominic Thiem in a third-set tie break in Shanghai.
Photo credit: US Open Facebook
Novak Djokovic extended his dominance against an old friend, while Dominic Thiem fell at the first hurdle in Shanghai.
Djokovic launched his quest for a record fourth Rolex Shanghai Masters championship dismissing Jeremy Chardy, 6-3, 7-5, to stretch his winning streak to 14 matches.
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Nicolas Jarry upset fifth-seeded Marin Cilic, 2-6, 7-6 (6), 7-5, for the biggest win of his career.
The 22-year-old Chilean has won two of three meetings vs. Top 10 opponents, including his victory over Thiem in Hamburg earlier this year. Jarry awaits the winner of the Kyle Edmund-Andreas Seppi match.
The second-seeded Serbian, who can surpass Roger Federer for the world No. 2 spot in the rankings by reaching the final, raised his record to 12-0 against Chardy, including winning all 28 sets they've played.
Djokovic can close the gap on world No. 1 Rafael Nadal to 35 ranking points if he regains the Shanghai title he last won in 2015.
Contesting his first Shanghai match in two years, Djokovic set the tone on serve.
The US Open champion served 75 percent, dropped just six points on first serve and did not face a break point in a one hour, 23-minute victory.
Improving his Shanghai record to 28-4, Djokovic will face one of two opponents who have dealt him Grand Slam defeats this season—either Hyeon Chung, who swept Djokovic in the Australian Open round of 16 or 16th-seeded Italian Marco Cecchinato, who surprised the Serbian in the Roland Garros quarterfinals in June.
Volleying with flair under pressure, Ebden topped Thiem, 6-4, 6-7 (8) 7-6 (4) in two hours, 45 minutes, for the biggest win of his career. Ebden's previous best win by ranking came back in 2012 when he defeated world No. 8 Mardy Fish at Indian Wells.
The sixth-seeded Austrian fell to 2-4 lifetime in Shanghai, where Thiem has yet to surpass the second round in four appearances.
Ebden, who rallied from a set down to defeat Frances Tiafoe yesterday, failed to convert a match point when serving for it at 6-5. But the 51st-ranked Aussie kept his cool and jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the decisive tie break.
A bold Ebden unleashed timely net attacks to close.
The 2011 Shanghai quarterfinalist will take on Peter Gojowczyk, who repelled Marton Fucsovics, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), in two hours, 37 minutes.
Gojowczyk fired seven aces and denied nine of 10 break points.
Forty-eight hours after Nikoloz Basilashvili beat top-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, 6-4, 6-4, in the Beijing final to claim his second career title, the baseline blaster was back at it again.
Basilashvili converted four of five break points crushing Canadian Denis Shapovalov, 6-2, 6-2, in 56 minutes.
The world No. 23 scored his sixth straight win setting up a second-round clash with fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev.
Daniil Medvedev stung 13 aces in a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 win over Chinese wild card Ze Zhang.
It was the eighth straight win for the 22nd-ranked Russian, who defeated Kei Nishikori to take the Tokyo title on Sunday.
Next up for Medvedev: a second-round clash with top-seeded Federer.