Shanghai Masters: Alcaraz exits in the third round

Third-ranked Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated from the third round of the $1 million Shanghai tournament after losing to Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 7-5, 7-6 (4-7). Alcaraz had recently claimed his first title since returning from an injury that kept him sidelined for months, winning the Tokyo tournament earlier this month. Bergs, ranked 39th in the world, delivered one of the best performances of his career and will face the winner of the match between American Tommy Paul and Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot in the next round. The defending champion was not involved in that tie. Bergs, 27, said after the match: “I feel a bit in disbelief; I haven’t fully grasped it yet.” He added, “You live every moment in detail and focus only on the points you’re playing,” expressing his “great happiness” at the achievement. Alcaraz started the match with clear dominance, but Bergs broke his serve to take a 3-2 lead in the first set. The Spaniard broke back in the next game but struggled unusually with unforced errors, hitting several balls into the net. In the 11th game, Alcaraz committed a double fault that gave his opponent a crucial break point, and he lost the first set after a volley that failed to clear the net properly. The Spaniard’s difficulties continued in the second set, where he appeared clearly frustrated, showing anger toward his team after a series of inaccurate shots. He failed to win any points in the fourth and eighth games. Although Alcaraz managed to force the second set into a tiebreak, he could not push for a third set, as Bergs sealed the victory after about two hours, capitalizing on his first match point.