This year's Shanghai Masters was truly hard to describe in words.

The Shanghai Masters that finished last week was really beyond words.

For one, the finalists were the 54th-ranked French veteran Lindgren-Kneesch and the 204th-ranked newcomer from Monaco, Vacherot. This marked the lowest-ranked finalists in a Masters 1000 event since the ATP's inception of the series in 1990.

Even more surprising was that Vacherot, who entered the main draw through qualifying rounds, went all the way to overturn his cousin Lindgren-Kneesch in the final to claim his first major career title. Vacherot thus became the lowest-ranked Masters champion in 35 years, surpassing the previous record set by Croatian Borna Coric, ranked 152nd, at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters.

However, Coric was already an established player who had dropped in rankings due to injuries causing intermittent play. In contrast, Vacherot was a genuine rookie who scripted a Cinderella story at the Shanghai Masters, turning from an underdog into a champion, which is truly astonishing! It's worth noting that Vacherot, ranked 204th, originally did not even qualify for the Shanghai Masters qualifiers but got the chance only because many higher-ranked players withdrew. He then won two matches in qualifying to enter the main draw.

Secondly, the top two ATP stars, Alcaraz and Sinner, either did not participate or withdrew early due to injury. The new world No.1 and US Open champion, Spain’s all-rounder Alcaraz, withdrew from the Shanghai Masters to carefully manage his left ankle injury after competing and winning at the ATP 500 Tokyo event, which significantly diminished the tournament's appeal.

Meanwhile, the defending Shanghai Masters champion and world No.2, Italy's rising star Sinner, suffered a severe leg cramp in the third round that made walking difficult, forcing him to retire and further reducing the tournament's excitement.

Thirdly, during the Shanghai Masters, the city experienced hot and humid weather, which posed significant challenges for the players. Under such harsh conditions, competitors either struggled to perform at their best or suffered physical discomfort, with some even forced to withdraw due to injury.

The defending champion and Italian prodigy Sinner retired in the third round due to a sudden leg cramp. Other players who withdrew due to injury included French left-hander Atmanar (first round), Serbian player Mejedovic (first round), Czech gunner Machac (third round), and Belgium’s lightning-fast Goffin (third round), among others.

Four-time Shanghai Masters champion and Serbian superstar Djokovic frequently appeared breathless and struggling during matches, even experiencing nausea and vomiting, with leg and hip injuries causing him to lose the semifinal in straight sets to the 204th-ranked qualifier Vacherot.

Other top seeds who performed poorly and were eliminated early included: No.3 seed, Germany’s Zverev (third round); No.4 seed, American dad Fritz (third round); No.6 seed, American Shelton (second round); No.9 seed, Russian thunder Kachanov (second round); No.11 seed, Norway’s light Ruud (second round); and No.13 seed, Russian golden monkey Rublev (second round). (To be continued)

(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Qicai Doufen)