By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, October 11, 2026
Photo credit: Pete Staples/USTA/US Open
Slashing an ace down the T, Alexander Zverev celebrated his 60th with a bang.
The top-seeded Zverev slammed his 19th ace sealing his Tour-best 60th win of the season with a 6-4, 6-7(8), 6-3 victory over Quentin Halys to advance to the Rolex Shanghai Masters round of 16 for the sixth time in eight appearances.
Zverev wrecking-ball serve was particularly damaging at crunch time today.
The 6’6″ German served 80 percent, slammed 19 aces against one double fault and did not face a break point defeating Halys for the fourth time in as many meetings.
Continuing his march toward the top spot, Zverev will supplant Jannik Sinner as new world No. 1 if he reaches the Shanghai semifinals. Zverev will face Alexander Bublik for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Earlier, the 19th-seeded Bublik bombed 22 aces and did not face a break point edging American Brandon Nakashima 6-7(7), 6-3, 7-6(5). Bublik improved to 30-20 on the season.
In a rousing start, Zverev converted his seventh break point to break Halys’ serve in the opening game of the match. Throwing down damaging serves, Zverev threw down love holds in four of his first five serve games snatching a one-set lead.
Credit Halys, who pushed Zverev to five sets at the US Open in August, for saving two match points in the tie break. Halys hammered an inside-out forehand winner to erase the second match point.
Earning a second set point, Halys hit a heavy forehand down the line, followed it forward and dunked a high forehand volley winner flashing a fist to his box after saving match points to take the near 11-minute tie break.
Though Halys had the momentum, Zverev had the biggest weapon on court in his commanding serve. Zverev broke in the second game of the decider then held firmly for a 3-0 lead.
Nearly 38 minutes since his last match point, Zverev zapped an ace down the T capping his 60th win of the year and continuing a career-best season with No. 1 now clearly in reach.
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