Marin Cilic, David Goffin and Adrian Mannarino were among the 14 players to advance to the second round of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
The three elder statesmen on the ATP Tour combined to hold 35 of 36 service games, saving four of five break points and hitting 35 aces in their first round wins in the second-to-last ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
Cilic, who turned 37 on Sunday, hit 17 aces, won 89% of his first serve points and 62% of second serve points while saving both break points faced in his 6-3, 7-6(5) win over qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.
"It was a fantastic serving day and I started to feel great rhythm at the start of the match and, you know, just kept going," said Cilic, who reached the Shanghai semifinals in 2017. "I mean, one break in the first set, and even though he played some great tennis as well, was hitting the ball really cleanly and really big and always dangerous guy to play with his very offensive game, which I don't think any of the guys on the tour hit as big as him."
Cilic snapped a six-match losing streak since reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. "It happens and the tour's obviously very strong, a lot of guys that are playing really well. At the moment obviously the position of mine is below where I'm facing a lot of these top guys straight away in these first rounds. So never easy to find that rhythm. When you are missing a little bit of matches it always, you know, that adds up. So just focus on my game, try to do the best I can, and obviously feeling good on the court." Cilic will now take on four-time Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic.
Two-time Shanghai quarter-finalist David Goffin came back to defeat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-7(6),6-1, 6-1 and improve his career record to 11-5 here. Goffin fired 12 aces, won 76% of first serve points and 60% of second serve points while saving two of three break points.
"I'm happy about the win and it's never easy to play against good friends, one of my best friends on tour," said the 34-year-old Belgian. "We played against each other twice, last time in Madrid, and I broke my foot, so it was another great souvenir. But now it was a different match. It was his turn to struggle a little bit with his fitness at the end, so I hope, hopefully it's nothing serious."
Goffin suffered a right ankle injury the last time he faced Muller in the first round of Madrid on April 24 and was sidelined for two months before returning at Wimbledon.
"So I'm happy that now the rhythm's coming back," said Goffin, who is 3-9 since returning from his injury. "It was better the last two weeks and this match was the best match in the last few weeks, so I'm happy to get a win and hopefully can continue. I served well, a lot of aces, good rhythm. The more the match was going, the more comfortable I was during the rallies and with my serves, so it's very positive. It's a match that I couldn't make for a long time now since I'm back from my foot injury, so I'm happy."
Goffin will look for a second staight win against No. 6 seed Ben Shelton in the second round on Friday. He defeated the American 7-6(3), 6-3 in the second round of Acapulco on Feb. 27. Shelton will be playing his first match since retiring with a left shoulder injury after the fourth set in the third round of the US Open on August 29 against Adrian Mannarino.
Mannarino continued his successful second half of the season run with a 7-5, 7-6(5) victory over Matteo Berrettini. Mannarino won 92% of first serve points and 76% of second serve points while never facing a break point. The 37-year-old Frenchman is 12-8 since June after starting the first five months with an 1-5 record. His ranking dropped to No. 126 in March and he came into Shanghai ranked No. 60.
There were three other winners who rallied from a set down on opening day as Jaume Munar defeated Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, Luca Nardi beat Sebastian Ofner 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Jordan Thompson came back to defeat qualifier August Holmgren 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Qualifiers Yoshihito Nishioka and Valentin Vacherot won in straight sets. Nishioka defeated Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-2 and Vacherot eliminated Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4. Aussie qualifier Tristan Schoolkate fell to Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-4 while another Aussie, Adam Walton, lost to Mattia Bellucci 7-6(6), 6-1.
The three elder statesmen on the ATP Tour combined to hold 35 of 36 service games, saving four of five break points and hitting 35 aces in their first round wins in the second-to-last ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
Cilic, who turned 37 on Sunday, hit 17 aces, won 89% of his first serve points and 62% of second serve points while saving both break points faced in his 6-3, 7-6(5) win over qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili.
"It was a fantastic serving day and I started to feel great rhythm at the start of the match and, you know, just kept going," said Cilic, who reached the Shanghai semifinals in 2017. "I mean, one break in the first set, and even though he played some great tennis as well, was hitting the ball really cleanly and really big and always dangerous guy to play with his very offensive game, which I don't think any of the guys on the tour hit as big as him."
Cilic snapped a six-match losing streak since reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. "It happens and the tour's obviously very strong, a lot of guys that are playing really well. At the moment obviously the position of mine is below where I'm facing a lot of these top guys straight away in these first rounds. So never easy to find that rhythm. When you are missing a little bit of matches it always, you know, that adds up. So just focus on my game, try to do the best I can, and obviously feeling good on the court." Cilic will now take on four-time Rolex Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic.
Two-time Shanghai quarter-finalist David Goffin came back to defeat Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-7(6),6-1, 6-1 and improve his career record to 11-5 here. Goffin fired 12 aces, won 76% of first serve points and 60% of second serve points while saving two of three break points.
"I'm happy about the win and it's never easy to play against good friends, one of my best friends on tour," said the 34-year-old Belgian. "We played against each other twice, last time in Madrid, and I broke my foot, so it was another great souvenir. But now it was a different match. It was his turn to struggle a little bit with his fitness at the end, so I hope, hopefully it's nothing serious."
Goffin suffered a right ankle injury the last time he faced Muller in the first round of Madrid on April 24 and was sidelined for two months before returning at Wimbledon.
"So I'm happy that now the rhythm's coming back," said Goffin, who is 3-9 since returning from his injury. "It was better the last two weeks and this match was the best match in the last few weeks, so I'm happy to get a win and hopefully can continue. I served well, a lot of aces, good rhythm. The more the match was going, the more comfortable I was during the rallies and with my serves, so it's very positive. It's a match that I couldn't make for a long time now since I'm back from my foot injury, so I'm happy."
Goffin will look for a second staight win against No. 6 seed Ben Shelton in the second round on Friday. He defeated the American 7-6(3), 6-3 in the second round of Acapulco on Feb. 27. Shelton will be playing his first match since retiring with a left shoulder injury after the fourth set in the third round of the US Open on August 29 against Adrian Mannarino.
Mannarino continued his successful second half of the season run with a 7-5, 7-6(5) victory over Matteo Berrettini. Mannarino won 92% of first serve points and 76% of second serve points while never facing a break point. The 37-year-old Frenchman is 12-8 since June after starting the first five months with an 1-5 record. His ranking dropped to No. 126 in March and he came into Shanghai ranked No. 60.
There were three other winners who rallied from a set down on opening day as Jaume Munar defeated Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, Luca Nardi beat Sebastian Ofner 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Jordan Thompson came back to defeat qualifier August Holmgren 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Qualifiers Yoshihito Nishioka and Valentin Vacherot won in straight sets. Nishioka defeated Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-2 and Vacherot eliminated Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4. Aussie qualifier Tristan Schoolkate fell to Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 6-4 while another Aussie, Adam Walton, lost to Mattia Bellucci 7-6(6), 6-1.
