Seven of the top eight seeds advanced to the final round of qualifying at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Monday with the highest seed to lose Austrian No. 6 Filip Misolic, who lost to Christopher Eubanks in three sets. Eubanks was one of three Americans to win first round matches along with No. 5 Mackenzie McDonald and No. 17 Eliot Spizzirri. The 12 qualifying spots into the 96-player main draw will be decided on Tuesday.
All five Chinese wild cards lost in straight sets to seeded opponents. Top seed Alejandro Tabilo, who recently won his third career ATP Tour title in Chengdu, defeated No. 308th-ranked Cui Jie 6-3, 7-5. Tabilo saved six of eight break points (75%) while Cui saved five of nine break points (56%).
In other matches involving Chinese players, Xia Linang lost to No. 17 seed American Eliot Spizzirri 6-4, 6-1, Liu Hanyi was eliminated by No. 20 seed Yosuke Watan Te Rigele lost to No. 21 seed Ugo Blanchet 6-4, 6-3, and Sun Fajing fell to No. 22 seed Harold Mayot 7-5, 6-3.
No. 2 seed Valentin Royer of France defeated his countryman Titouan Droguet 6-1, 6-2, No. 3 Dailbor Svrcina of Czechia beat Guillo Zeppieri of Italy 6-2, 6-4, No. 4 Aussie Aleksandar Vukic rallied past alternate Marc-Andreas Huesler of Switzerland 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5), No. 5 American Mackenzie McDonald defeated Aussie Omar Jasika 6-0, 6-4, No. 7 Aussie Tristan Schoolkate came back to beat countryman James McCabe 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2, and No. 8 Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia defeated Aussie Bernard Tomic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in a match-up between two former Top 20 players.
There are four Aussies in the last round of qualifying, which is the most of any country along with Japan. Besides No. 4 Vukic and No. 7 Schoolkate, No. 12 Rinky Hijikata and unseeded Jason Kubler are left. Hijikata and Kubler won the Australian Open doubles title two years ago as wild cards.
The four Japanese players trying to reach the main draw are No. 20 seed Yosuke Watanuki, former World No. 24 Yoshihito Nishioka, Rei Sakamoto and James Trotter. Sakamoto defeated No. 13 seed Brandon Holt 6-1, 7-5, and Trotter beat No. 15 Tristan Boyer 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Of the 24 players in the final round of qualifying, two are trying to qualify into the Shanghai main draw for the second straight year -- Vukic and Watanuki.
All five Chinese wild cards lost in straight sets to seeded opponents. Top seed Alejandro Tabilo, who recently won his third career ATP Tour title in Chengdu, defeated No. 308th-ranked Cui Jie 6-3, 7-5. Tabilo saved six of eight break points (75%) while Cui saved five of nine break points (56%).
In other matches involving Chinese players, Xia Linang lost to No. 17 seed American Eliot Spizzirri 6-4, 6-1, Liu Hanyi was eliminated by No. 20 seed Yosuke Watan Te Rigele lost to No. 21 seed Ugo Blanchet 6-4, 6-3, and Sun Fajing fell to No. 22 seed Harold Mayot 7-5, 6-3.
No. 2 seed Valentin Royer of France defeated his countryman Titouan Droguet 6-1, 6-2, No. 3 Dailbor Svrcina of Czechia beat Guillo Zeppieri of Italy 6-2, 6-4, No. 4 Aussie Aleksandar Vukic rallied past alternate Marc-Andreas Huesler of Switzerland 1-6, 7-5, 7-6(5), No. 5 American Mackenzie McDonald defeated Aussie Omar Jasika 6-0, 6-4, No. 7 Aussie Tristan Schoolkate came back to beat countryman James McCabe 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-2, and No. 8 Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia defeated Aussie Bernard Tomic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in a match-up between two former Top 20 players.
There are four Aussies in the last round of qualifying, which is the most of any country along with Japan. Besides No. 4 Vukic and No. 7 Schoolkate, No. 12 Rinky Hijikata and unseeded Jason Kubler are left. Hijikata and Kubler won the Australian Open doubles title two years ago as wild cards.
The four Japanese players trying to reach the main draw are No. 20 seed Yosuke Watanuki, former World No. 24 Yoshihito Nishioka, Rei Sakamoto and James Trotter. Sakamoto defeated No. 13 seed Brandon Holt 6-1, 7-5, and Trotter beat No. 15 Tristan Boyer 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.
Of the 24 players in the final round of qualifying, two are trying to qualify into the Shanghai main draw for the second straight year -- Vukic and Watanuki.
