Shanghai Masters 1000 begins

This week, Shanghai is the venue for the latest ATP Masters 1000 tournament, and with Rafa Nadal missing from the draw, Novak Djokovic has a chance to draw ever closer to the number one ranking.

With Nadal losing 600 points from his finals appearance last year, he will finish this week with 7660 ranking points.

Roger Federer won Shanghai 2017, and has to defend 1000 points, effectively starting the tournament on 5910, 10 points from a first round showing.

Novak Djokovic was injured for this and the rest of 2017, therefore having no points to defend for the remainder of 2018.

He starts Shanghai on 6455 points, 10 points from a first round appearance.  Any performance of note would place huge pressure on Nadal, and a title win would mean the gap reduced to 215 points

Of course Roger Federer also has the chance to join Djokovic in threatening Nadal’s hold on the top position, by defending his title.  That would give him a points total of 6900 at the end.

All this is mute and the opening matches in the Rolex Shanghai Masters have just begun.  Roger Federer is the top seed, and 14 of the top world 20 are in the main draw.  The top eight seeds have first round byes.

First round results 

• Peter Gojowczyk defeated Jack Sock (12) 6-4 6-7(6) 6-3
• Nicolas Jarry defeated Mischa Zverev 6-4 3-6 7-6(5)
• Karen Khachanov defeated Steve Johnson 6-7(6) 6-3 6-4
• Jérémy Chardy defeated Maximilian Marterer 6-3 7-6(5)
• Roberto Bautista Agut defeated Andrey Rublev 6-3 6-4
• Marton Fucsovics defeated Damir Dzumhur 6-3 6-4
• Matthew Ebden defeated Frances Tiafoe 3-6 6-4 6-3
• Sam Querrey defeated Diego Schwartzman (9) 6-3 6-4
• Qualifier Taylor Fritz defeated Robin Haase 6-3 7-6(3)
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (10) defeated Gaël Monfils 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4
• Qualifier Mackenzie McDonald defeated Milos Raonic (14) 6-3 5-7 6-3

Other tournaments

• the Tianjin Open, in Tianjin, China on Hard, Deco-Turf (WTA International category)
• the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open in Hong Kong, China on Hard, Deco-Turf (WTA International category)
• the Upper Austria Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria on Hard Deco Turf on Wood (WTA International category)

Tianjin 

Karolina Pliskova is top seed, world ranked 6, and all the eight seeds are in the top fifty.

First round matches

• Magda Linette defeated Evgeniya Rodina 2-6 6-1 6-4
• Su-Wei Hsieh (5) defeated Ajla Tomljanovic 7-6(4) 7-5
• Qualifier Veronika Kudermetova defeated Alison Riske 5-7 6-1 7-5
• Wildcard Fangzhou Liu defeated wildcard Yue Yuan 6-0 1-6 6-4
• Polona Hercog defeated Lara Arruabarrena 7-6(5) 6-2
• Wildcard Karolina Pliskova (1) defeated Varvara Lepchenko 6-2 6-7(3) 6-3

Hong Kong

Elina Svitolina is top seed, world ranked 5, and all six seeds are in the top fifty.  Two seeds, Naomi Osaka (2) and Lesia Tsurenko (5) were last minute withdrawals.  Their places in the draw were taken by Shuai Zhang and Aleksandra Krunic respectively.

First round matches 

• Dayana Yastremska defeated qualifier Fanny Stollar 6-4 6-4
• Lucky loser Viktoriya Tomova defeated Dalila Jakupovic 6-3 2-6 7-6(3)
• Luksika Kumkhum defeated Jennifer Brady 6-1 7-6(5)

Linz

Julia Goerges is the top seed, world ranked 9, and all seven seeds are in the top top forty. One seed, Dominika Cibulková, was a late withdrawal - her place in the draw was taken by Katerina Siniakova, given the ninth seeding.