The Rolex Shanghai Masters has not been a happy hunting ground for defensive champions in recent years, but Jannik Sinner made an impressive start of his bid for back-to-back titles on Saturday on the Chinese ATP Masters 1000.
The No. 2 in the PIF ATP rankings lower Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-3 in Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena to start his 2025 campaign. Sinner offers to be the first player to successfully defend the Shanghai title since Novak Djokovic in 2013 and has arrived fresh there by lifting an ATP 500 title in Beijing on Wednesday. Against Altmaier, he continued where he had gone in the Chinese capital by producing a 38 -minute exhibition.
Champions Start ✨@Janniks Starts his title defense with a 6-3 6-3 defeat of Altmaier.@Sh_rolexmasters | #Rolexhanghaimasters pic.twitter.com/MW0B1WFLES
– ATP Tour (@atptour) October 4, 2025
“I knew before the competition it would be very difficult today,” said Sinner. “I didn’t have much time to adjust here, but it makes it even more special. Every day every opponent is very difficult, it is a huge challenge. So I am very happy to get through today and hopefully I can increase my level tomorrow.”
By the first time confronted with Altmaier since his shock -worship against the German on 2023 Roland Garros, Sinner, Sinner, converted three of the four breakpoints he earned to make a third round meeting with Tallon Greek Spoor. The Italian now has a 23-2 record in China, where he has won three titles (Beijing 2023 and 2025, Shanghai 2024), and he will collide with Griegspoor with a 6-0 lead in the pair of Lexus ATP Head2head series of the couple.
Now that Carlos Alcaraz Shanghai is missing due to an injury, the 24-year-old sinner has the chance to increase his hope for a return to world no. 1 these two weeks. If he beats Greek track, he will go in 1,290 points of no. 1 Alcaraz in the live ranking list of PIF ATP, while he would close the gap to just 390 points by successfully defending his title.
“Everything is different [here]. It is much more humid and it can feel much more physical here, “Sinner said, when he was asked to adapt from Beijing to Shanghai.” I tried to rest, but it is difficult after you have won a title. You must have a big practical balance. It is clear that the priority is to feel as good as I can feel physically for the next one. ”
Another member of the ATP No. 1 Club, Daniil Medvedev, also booked his third round place on Quickfire Mode on Saturday. The 16th seed, which rediscovered its shape to reach the semi-final in Beijing, quickly settled in Shanghai to overcome the Dalibor SVRCina 6-1, 6-1 qualifying match. Medvedev hit 22 winners and only made nine casual mistakes in his 60 -minute victory.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be the next opponent of Champion Medvedev 2019, after Spaniard Matteo Arnaldi defeated 6-4, 6-4, while student ten, who defeated Medvedev twice in 2025, has also ended up in the Semi finals in Beijing. The #nextgenatp American passed Corentin Moutet 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in his second round match to determine a meeting with Cameron Norrie.
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