Tsitsipas Beats Coppejans as Shanghai Masters Upsets Mount

Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Masters after defeating Belgian qualifier Kimmer Coppejans 6-3, 7-5 on Thursday in Shanghai, China. The victory continued the Greek player's recovery in the ATP rankings, while several other competitors suffered early exits during the tournament's opening round, according to reports from TSN and The Sentinel Assam.

Tsitsipas, a two-time major finalist, climbed to No. 43 after falling as low as No. 87 midway through the year. He reached a career-high ranking of No. 3 in 2021 and will next face 18th-seeded Luciano Darderi, according to TSN.

The Greek player had struggled to find consistency in recent tournaments. He lost in qualifying at the Japan Open last week after winning two qualifying matches to enter that event's main draw, according to The Sentinel Assam. At the U.S. Open, his previous tournament before the Japan Open, he reached the fourth round before losing to eventual finalist Ben Shelton.

Polish player Hubert Hurkacz also secured a place in the second round, defeating Australia's James Duckworth 6-3, 7-6 (4). Hurkacz recorded 19 aces in the match and is scheduled to face No. 10 seed Novak Djokovic, according to TSN.

Djokovic entered the Shanghai tournament after winning the China Open on Tuesday, earning the 102nd title of his career. The Serbian was among the leading seeds who received first-round byes, alongside U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz.

Meanwhile, Bernard Tomic's return to the Masters main draw ended in defeat. The Australian lost 6-3, 6-1 to Matteo Arnaldi, the world No. 38, in 52 minutes, according to The Sentinel Assam.

Tomic, a former world No. 16 and four-time ATP champion, had won two qualifying matches to reach the Shanghai main draw. His appearance marked his first ATP Masters 1000 main-draw participation since 2019, while his ranking had fallen as low as No. 825 four years earlier. He was ranked No. 185 at the time of the tournament.

British player Cameron Norrie also exited after losing to Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. The defeat marked Norrie's fourth consecutive loss, according to The Sentinel Assam.

Other first-round results included Jan-Lennard Struff's 6-4, 6-4 victory over Martin Landaluce, Zizou Bergs' 6-3, 6-1 win against Vit Kopriva, and Botic van de Zandschulp's comeback victory over D. Merida Aguilar, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Juan Manuel Cerúndolo also defeated Nicolás Mejía 6-4, 6-4.

The tournament's entry list changed during the week when world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from Shanghai after announcing that a right knee injury would keep him out for the remainder of 2026, according to TSN. The leading seeds' first-round byes meant several top contenders were scheduled to begin their campaigns later in the tournament.