Top seed Zverev battles past Wu to get off to winning start at Shanghai Masters

[p]A dive left the German grimacing and grabbing his left ankle during the 11th game of the second set, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wu-yibing/8ASNvPfK/"]Wu[/a], ranked 113th in the world, going up 6-5.[/p][p]But the 29-year-old held serve and forced a tie-break, capitalising on a series of errors [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/wu-y-8ASNvPfK/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=YNUxv1ye"]to win on his second match point[/a] when the home hope fired long.[/p][p][b]"Credit to him, he was playing amazing tennis,"[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a] told the crowd afterwards.[/p][p][b]"He hits every ball as hard as he can,"[/b] he added in another on-court interview, crediting a reliable serve for his straight-sets win.[/p][p]Zverev, the world number two, is on track to end the year with the top ranking after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] announced he was ending his 2026 season due to injury.[/p][p]Zverev next faces [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/halys-quentin/EDve8Ljh/"]Quentin Halys[/a] of France, who downed Belgium's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blockx-alexander/xll0TzGG/"]Alexander Blockx[/a] in three sets.[/p][embed guid="3643d7da-a40c-4f71-a990-dc54cc98124e" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2108471367830020442/video/1" social-type="twitter" /][p]Earlier, third-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a] beat Germany's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/altmaier-daniel/IPR8h9gM/"]Daniel Altmaier[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/altmaier-d-IPR8h9gM/shelton-b-QNuG0Gzb/?mid=YulYzuJ8"]6-3, 7-6(6)[/a] and will play France's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gea-arthur/M5Nr6FTR/"]Arthur Gea[/a] in the third round.[/p][p][b]"Tough match-up," [/b]said the American, who double-faulted five times across the gritty two-hour match.[b] "Happy with the way I finished."[/b][/p][p]It was a fitting birthday present for Shelton, who turned 24 on Friday, though he hinted he may pass on indulging, telling an on-court interviewer: "I hate cake."[/p][p]Frenchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mannarino-adrian/fLOdtByM/"]Adrian Mannarino[/a] upset sixth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Flavio Cobolli[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/cobolli-f-zDtaCcPe/mannarino-a-fLOdtByM/?mid=YXVtR0It"]6-1, 4-6, 6-3[/a].[/p][p]Cobolli, the French Open finalist, twice fell to the ground as he failed to convert two break points in the last game.[/p][p]The Italian, 24, saved a match point with a well-placed volley but could not stay afloat as 38-year-old Mannarino kept him running and forced him into a backhand he could not return.[/p][p]Mannarino, ranked 83rd, will face either [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/khachanov-karen/4bNPtZT5/"]Karen Khachanov[/a] or [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fery-arthur/SKxbA6KA/"]Arthur Fery[/a] in the next round.[/p][p]Elsewhere in the draw, Japanese qualifier [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sakamoto-rei/AeBHWNls/"]Rei Sakamoto[/a] beat Russia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rublev-andrey/AeAn4gP0/"]Andrey Rublev[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/rublev-a-AeAn4gP0/sakamoto-r-AeBHWNls/?mid=04X9fcIr"]6-4, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Sakamoto, the world number 137, will next play ninth-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/de-minaur-alex/EZgZ9Xfh/"]Alex de Minaur[/a], who advanced after his opponent [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/molcan-alex/drgiRTl7/"]Alex Molcan[/a] withdrew before play.[/p][p]Later on Friday, Serbian veteran [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] was due to start his title bid in the second round against Poland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hurkacz-hubert/zuHOBnY9/"]Hubert Hurkacz[/a].[/p]