Some impressive numbers are adding up for Jannik Sinner in China.
With two straight Rolex Shanghai Masters match victories added to the five he collected as last week's Beijing champion, the Italian's win streak now extends to seven matches. In lifting his ninth career trophy, he's also climbed to a career-high world No.4.
It places the 22-year-old Sinner in the same company as Adriano Panatta, the only Italian man to have ranked so highly since the inception of ATP rankings in 1973.
With his 51st match win of the season achieved with victory over Sebastian Baez, Sinner is also within reach of surpassing the record that Corrado Barazzutti set for an Italian player with his 54 match wins in 1978.
"I always say that I play for myself. I don't play to beat other players in these kinds of cases," Sinner said on Sunday. "I'm just trying to play match after match. I'm excited that I am in the situation that I am in right now. Hopefully I can keep going."
Sinner will aim to so at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in a tantalising fourth-round contest with fast-rising Ben Shelton. The young American, a recent US Open semi-finalist and debutante in the world's top 20, arrives at a first match with Sinner in similarly red-hot form.
The pair are yet to meet on the ATP Tour and Sinner is excited for the career first.
"We have never even practised together. It's going to be completely new," the 22-year-old said. "I'm very (much) looking forward to it. He is a very, very good player. Serving very, very big. I'm excited for the challenge."
There's similar anticipation for Sebastian Korda, who stunned defending champion and No.2 seed Daniil Medvedev to set a fourth-round clash with Francisco Cerundolo. It will be a first meeting between the pair.
"Obviously another high-level player. He's having a great year," Korda said of the Argentine, who at world No.21 sits slightly above his own No.26 ranking.
"Definitely have to play some really good tennis again to hopefully get the job done."
Casper Ruud is also wise to the challenge when he faces the unseeded Fabian Marozsan for the first time in his career.
The Norwegian, at world No.9, sits considerably higher than the 91st-ranked Hungarian but after upsets of Alex de Minaur (the No.10 seed) and Dusan Lajovic, Marozsan's confidence is rising fast.
Zhang Zhizhen also returns to Qi Zhong Stadium on Tuesday, facing Hubert Hurkacz for the second time in his career.
The Shanghai-born 26-year-old has lit up his home tournament with wins over Richard Gasquet, Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Brandon Nakashima. As the only Chinese player in history to win back-to-back wins at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, it's a dream come true for Zhang.
"It's the second time for me to be in the second week of a Masters (1000 tournament)," the 26-year-old said, having earlier achieved that milestone with wins over three higher-ranked players - including Denis Shapovalov and Taylor Fritz - in Madrid.
"Also, this is in front of my home, Shanghai Masters, so (I feel) even more things," he added ahead of his meeting with Hurkacz, who defeated Zhang in their only other match at the Rolex Shanghai Masters in 2019.
"I always wanted to play good tennis in front of my hometown and my family, and finally this time I did. Hopefully, I can keep going."
