(Shanghai) Seed N.1 and 2e world player, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated on Wednesday in the 8are final of the Shanghai Masters 1000 by the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, winner in three sets 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
With this defeat, Alcaraz recorded a second poor performance in a row, after having already been eliminated quite sharply last week in the semi-final of the ATP 500 tournament in Beijing by the Italian Jannik Sinner (7-6 [7/4]6-1).
“I stayed in the match all the time, I knew that I had to avoid putting him in a comfortable situation,” explained the Bulgarian after the match, who was already leading 5-3 in the first set, ultimately won by the world No.2.
Dimitrov, today at 19e world rank, but who was world No.3 in 2017, recorded his first victory in four matches against Alcaraz. He will face in the quarter-final on Friday the Chilean Nicolas Jarry, who defeated the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.
Earlier in the day, Frenchman Ugo Humbert also brilliantly validated his ticket to the quarter-finals in Shanghai, sweeping away American JJ Wolf in less than an hour 6-1, 6-2.
“I had a great performance, with a very high level of play,” rejoiced the left-hander after the match. “I’m very proud, I managed to stay focused from the start to the end of the match.”
Very solid on serve, with 31 points won out of 34 on his commitment, ultra precise and powerful in his shots, full of confidence, Humbert, already defeated by world No.6 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the previous round, left no hope to JJ Wolf (51e in the ranking) for their first meeting in the final draw of a tournament.
The last Frenchman competing in Shanghai, Humbert will face the American Tommy Paul (12e world) or the Russian Andrey Rublev (7e), who must still face each other on Wednesday.