Belgium's Zizou Bergs defeated Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in the round of 32 at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The ATP 1000 match, part of a tournament with a prize fund of $11.2 million being played on hard courts in Shanghai, finished 7-5, 7-6 in straight sets. Bergs beat the second seed to advance.
Two sets with no room for error
The match was settled in two tight sets. Bergs took the first 7-5, then was sharper again in the second to win it 7-6. A third set was not needed, with the final score 2-0 in sets. Both sets were decided by the narrowest of margins, meaning individual points made the difference. Detailed match statistics are not available in the api.tennis data.
This was Bergs' third straight win at the tournament, and he has yet to drop a set. In the round of 128 he beat Vit Kopriva 6-3, 6-1, and in the round of 64 he defeated Ignacio Buse 6-0, 6-3. Alcaraz had reached this stage by beating Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 64.
Bergs had already beaten Alcaraz once before, in Tokyo in 2025, winning that match 6-4, 6-3.