Shanghai Masters: Hurkacz Beats Rublev To Win Title

Hubert Hurkacz saved a match point on his way to victory over Andrey Rublev on sunday, in the Shanghai Masters final.

The Pole was 6-5 down in the deciding tie-break but hung on to edge past the Russian fifth seed 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-8) in a tight match that boiled down to an all-deciding tie-breaker.

A good start from Hurkacz saw Rublev respond by levelling in the second set, but the contest ultimately came down to the third set tie-breaker.

Both men were seeking a second Masters 1,000 title, with world number 17 Hurkacz winning out in a heavy-hitting contest.

26 year old Hurkacz, sent down two aces on his way to a first title at this level since winning in Miami in 2021.

Russia’s’, Rublev, had not dropped a set on his run to the final but was unable to stop Hurkacz completing a seventh win in eight finals on the ATP Tour.

The world number seven remains well placed to qualify for November’s ATP Finals in Turin. He is fifth in the ‘Race to Turin’ rankings, while Hurkacz moves up to 11th, 335 points behind Dane Holger Rune, who is in the eighth and final qualifying place.

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Meanwhile, World No 4 Jessica Pegula earned her second WTA title of the season after winning the Hana Bank Korea Open.

She beat China’s Yuan Yue in straight sets, 6-2 6-3, to become the first American since Venus Williams in 2007 to win in Seoul.

Pegula was seeded No 1 for the tournament after accepting a wild card and only dropped one set throughout the competition during her quarter-final against Claire Liu.