Jannik Sinner avenged last year's Shanghai Masters exit to Ben Shelton, beating him in straight sets to progress to the quarter-final on Wednesday. (More Tennis News)
The Amerඣ🍸ican was hoping for another upset to mark his 22nd birthday, but Sinner triumphed 6-4 7-6 (7-1) in 88 minutes.
Shelton started strongly, showing off a 95% first serve accuracy in the☂ first set, as he matched the Italian in the opening games but could not force a vital break before Sinner's three-game winning run took the set away from him.
Sinner then had to dig deep as Shelton went on the attack🍰 once more, but he successfully defended all seven break points, five of which ca🍒me in the second set.
He ramped up the pressure in the tie-break, cruising through to reach his 14th ATP Tour 🐼quarter-final of 2024.
"It was very tough. He🐓 played only first serves, except one second serve," Sinner said.
"But if I look at the positive picture, how I ended the match, I tried to stay a bit more aggressive, which I'veꩲ done, and this hopefully can give me confidence for the next round."
He will face Daniil Medved🦋ev in the final eight after the Russian saw off Stefanos Tsitsip♚as with a commanding performance.
Medvedev triumphed 7-6 (7-3) 6-3, 💎hitting 28 winners and making just 20 unforc𒀰ed errors to the Greek's 34 as he came from 2-0 down in the second set, winning six of the last seven games to progress.
Data Debrief: Staying perfect
Sinner has made a 14th quarter-final from 14 ATP even🍷ts in 2024, becoming only the fourth pla🌳yer aged 23 or under to do so in a single season after Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1976) and John McEnroe (1982).
Stefanos Tsitsipas (10) is now the second opponent Daniil Medvedev has defeated 10+ times head-to-head at ATP level, along with Alexander Zverev (12), while he will be searching for an eighth win against Sinner in the next rou꧅nd, having also b🤡eaten him at Wimbledon earlier this year.
