Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov Defeats Alexei Popyrin to Reach Next Stage in Shanghai Masters

Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov has advanced to the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai, continuing his strong performance as the ninth seed. Dimitrov achieved a convincing victory over Australia's 20th-ranked Alexei Popyrin, winning the match 7:6(5), 6:2 in just 88 minutes.

The first set was closely contested, with both players holding their serves. Dimitrov had a chance to take the set in the 12th game but was denied by Popyrin, leading to a tiebreak. The Bulgarian took charge in the tiebreak, establishing a 6:3 lead and ultimately closing out the set with a powerful forehand shot on his fourth set point.

Popyrin, 25, struggled to regain his composure in the second set, facing an early break when his backhand sailed out. Dimitrov capitalized, going up 2:0 with his sixth ace. He maintained control, breaking Popyrin again without losing a point, and his streak of 14 consecutive points was only interrupted in the fifth game. At 1:5, Popyrin managed to hold his serve, but Dimitrov quickly regained focus. Serving for the match, he surged to a 40:0 lead and secured victory on his first match point when Popyrin returned the ball out.

Throughout the match, Dimitrov recorded 18 winners, including 7 aces, while committing 17 unforced errors. He achieved a solid first serve percentage of 65% and won an impressive 97% of points on his first serve.

In the next round, Dimitrov will face Jakub Mensik, currently ranked 65th in the world. This will be a rematch, as Dimitrov previously lost to the 19-year-old Czech player at the Masters 1000 clay tournament in Madrid, with the scoreline of 2:6, 7:6, 3:6, marking their only encounter to date.