By Chris Oddo | Monday October 9, 2017
Juan Martin del Potro survived a seesaw battle with Nikoloz Basilashvili on Day 2 of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, saving four break points in the ninth game of the third set before finally clinching a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over the Georgian.
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The No.16-seeded Argentine saved six of eight break points and won 40 of 49 first-serve points, but he struggled to win points on his second serve, capturing just 13 of 30 such points.
Del Potro improved to 25-13 on the season and 17-9 on hardcourts.
The 2013 Shanghai finalist will next face Andrey Rublev at the year’s penultimate Masters 1000 event. World No.35 Rublev continued his fine form with a 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 victory over Damir Dzumhur. The Russian improves to 18-12 on the season and strengthened his bid to qualify for the NextGenATP finals at Milan. Rublev is currently in second place in the race.
In other action on a busy Monday at Shanghai, qualifier 19-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas upset Russian’s Karen Khachanov, 7-5, 6-3, to earn his first career ATP win on his ninth try.
American qualifier Frances Tiafoe defeated France’s Benoit Paire, 6-4, 6-4, while South Korea’s Hyeon Chung upset No.9-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-4, 6-3.
Feliciano Lopez defeated Ivo Karlovic, 7-6(1), 7-6(6).