Carlos Alcaraz showcased his exceptional tennis skills to overcome Yibing Wu and move forward in the 2024 Shanghai Masters.
The young Spanish player faced a challenging path at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai. First, he defeated Juncheng Shang in two sets, which seemed straightforward but required focus. After just winning a trophy in Beijing, he had little time to rest before facing another local favorite, Yibing Wu.
Wu had been on fire in his initial matches, easily defeating Sumit Nagal and Nicolas Jarry with scores of 6-3, 6-3 and 6-2, 6-1 respectively. Known for his talent but also for struggling with injuries, Wu was a formidable opponent. Alcaraz knew this well and acknowledged Wu’s impressive form before their match.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇪🇸 Carlos Alcaraz | 21 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Alcaraz vs. Wu: A Tough Battle
Alcaraz expressed respect for Wu’s game: “I know that he was in the top 100… beating a guy like Jarry is impressive.” He planned to study Wu’s recent performance against Jarry to prepare himself better for their encounter.
As the match began, it was clear why Alcaraz needed to be vigilant. Both players were strong from the start; neither gave up their serve easily until they reached a tie at 4-4. Fans might think this tension made the game even more exciting! In the ninth game, Alcaraz had opportunities to break but couldn’t capitalize on them.
In an intense tie-breaker that followed, Wu initially led but couldn’t maintain his advantage. Alcaraz showed resilience by coming back from behind twice and finally clinching the first set with three consecutive points—7-5.
Moving into the second set, Alcaraz turned up his serving prowess unexpectedly with seven aces—an unusual feat given his shorter stature among top players—and combined it with solid baseline play to secure victory over Wu with scores of 7-6(5), 6-3.
Next up is another challenge as he awaits either Ugo Humbert or Gael Monfils from France for his fourth-round match at Shanghai Masters.
What do you think about Carlos’ performance?
