Shanghai Masters: Zverev survives Bublik in final-set tiebreak to set up De Minaur quarter-final as Gea shines

Top seed Alexander Zverev needed two hours and 37 minutes and a final-set tiebreak to get past Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(1) in the Shanghai Masters fourth round on Tuesday, 13 October. The German will face Alex de Minaur in the quarter-finals after the Australian beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4. In the other half of that section, French youngster Arthur Gea and Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina also booked their places in the last eight at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center.

Zverev grinds past Bublik

Zverev, who has already secured the year-end world No. 1 ranking, was pushed hard by the 19th seed from Kazakhstan. He took a tight opening set on a tiebreak, but Bublik levelled by winning the second 6-4. The decider again went the distance before Zverev took control of the tiebreak, winning it 7-1.

The win did not come without concern. Zverev admitted afterwards that his ankle had been bothering him, a point to watch ahead of a quarter-final against one of the fastest movers on tour. With second seed Carlos Alcaraz already knocked out by Zizou Bergs in the third round, Zverev is the highest-ranked player left in the draw.

De Minaur looks sharp again

De Minaur's straight-sets win over the 26th seed Khachanov was an encouraging sign after an injury scare. Less than a week earlier he had retired early in the second set of the China Open final against Novak Djokovic, trailing by a set, because of a hip flexor problem. In Shanghai he described his fitness as getting better every day and rated the Khachanov win as his best performance since the injury.

The result also lifted the ninth seed to seventh in the race for the ATP Finals in Turin. De Minaur trails Zverev 4-8 in their head-to-head record, but he won both of their most recent meetings, which came at the Laver Cup.

Gea's breakthrough run continues

The story of the day for many fans was Arthur Gea. The 21-year-old Frenchman beat 13th seed Jakub Mensik 7-6(4), 6-4 to reach his first Masters 1000 quarter-final in his debut at this level. He had already knocked out Ben Shelton in the third round, and his run in China is set to lift him into the world's top 50 for the first time.

Gea will meet Davidovich Fokina for a place in the semi-finals. The 25th seed came from a set down to beat Hubert Hurkacz 1-6, 6-3, 7-6(6), winning the deciding tiebreak 8-6. Hurkacz had earlier in the week ended Djokovic's run in Shanghai.

The rest of the round of 16

The bottom half of the draw completes its fourth-round matches on Wednesday, 14 October. The scheduled ties are Daniil Medvedev against Stefanos Tsitsipas, Casper Ruud against Felix Auger-Aliassime, Tommy Paul against Zizou Bergs, and Botic van de Zandschulp against Rafael Jodar. Fourth seed Auger-Aliassime and fifth seed Medvedev are the highest-ranked players left in that half.

Shanghai is in the same time zone as Malaysia, so all of the matches are played at local Malaysian times. The tournament runs until 18 October.

Key takeaways

• Alexander Zverev beat Alexander Bublik 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(1) to reach the Shanghai quarter-finals.
• Alex de Minaur beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-4 and will play Zverev next.
• Arthur Gea, 21, beat Jakub Mensik to reach his first Masters 1000 quarter-final on debut.
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina rallied from a set down to beat Hubert Hurkacz and will face Gea.
• The remaining fourth-round matches, including Medvedev against Tsitsipas, are scheduled for 14 October.

FAQ

Who plays in the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals so far? Alexander Zverev will play Alex de Minaur, and Arthur Gea will play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The other four places are decided by the fourth-round matches on 14 October.

What is the head-to-head between Zverev and De Minaur? Zverev leads 8-4, but De Minaur won their two most recent meetings, both at the Laver Cup.

Is Carlos Alcaraz still in the Shanghai Masters? No. Alcaraz, the second seed, lost to Zizou Bergs 7-5, 7-6(4) in the third round on 12 October.

Sources: ATP Tour, ABC News (Australia), Tennis Temple, Sunday Guardian, The Sports Encounter