Shanghai Masters: Alcaraz misses No.1 shot with Machac loss

Carlos Alcaraz crashed out of the Shanghai Masters in China on Thursday, losing in straight sets to Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals.

Tennis betting sites had Alcaraz as a -1250 favourite to beat Machac, with the world No.2 having prevailed over the 23-year-old just last month.

But Machac played some of his best tennis all year on Thursday, hitting 31 winners to 25 and overcoming Alcaraz 7-6 (5), 7-5 in just under two hours to make his maiden Masters 1000 semi-final.

The Czech out-hit Alcaraz by 31 winners to 25, leading the Spaniard to declare after the match that it felt like the was playing a top-five opponent.

“I felt like I was playing against a top-five player,” said Alcaraz, who had been on a 12-match winning streak coming into the Shanghai quarter-finals.

“Not even top 10, no, top five. His level was so high.

“I thought that he was going to give me an opportunity, a window, but he didn’t.

“From the first game until the last one, his level was so high.

“His ball speed, it was unbelievable.

“Honestly, I felt good on the court, I felt the ball really well, I was hitting well, I was moving well.

“But, at some points, I didn’t know what to do.”

The loss means Alcaraz is now unable to catch Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings for 2024, confirming the Italian will claim the year-end No.1 spot for the first time in his career.

Sinner navigated his quarter-final with ease, defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-4 to claim his seventh win over the Russian in eight meetings.

The 23-year-old has made at least the quarter-finals in every tournament he has entered in 2024, making the last four in 11 of 14 events.

With Alcaraz bowing out, online bookmakers now have Sinner as a -163.93 favourite to win the Shanghai Masters.

His biggest competition, Novak Djokovic (+162), will play his quarter-final on Friday against Jakub Mensik.

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