More than eight years since their previous meeting, Dusan Lajovic and Stan Wawrinka reignited their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry Wednesday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. It was Serbia’s Lajovic who rode a fast start to his maiden victory against the Swiss former World No. 3.
Lajovic prevailed 6-4, 7-6(7) on Shanghai’s Stadium Court to complete the set of winning a main-draw match at each of the nine ATP Masters 1000 events. The World No. 54 broke Wawrinka’s serve in the opening game en route to the first set and saved a set point in the second-set tie-break before wrapping a one-hour, 53-minute triumph.
Lajovic, who lifted his second ATP Tour title in April in Banja Luka, struck 16 winners and just seven unforced errors to outlast Wawrinka in a one-handed backhand battle to move to 1-2 in tour-level meetings against the Swiss. The Serbian has now won eight of his past nine matches against Top 50 opponents, and he will have the chance to improve that record further in the second round in Shanghai when he takes on 23rd seed Tallon Griekspoor.
Brandon Nakashima also booked an appointment with a seeded opponent in Shanghai. The American downed Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-1, 7-6(3) and will take on third seed Holger Rune in the second round. The 2022 Next Gen ATP Finals champion Nakashima fired 21 winners, including nine aces, to seal his first Masters 1000 match win since March in Miami.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, home favourite Buyunchaokete enjoyed a successful ATP Tour debut at his home Masters 1000 event. The 21-year-old, who goes by just one name, led Miomir Kecmanovic 6-7(6), 6-2, 2-1 when the Serbian retired from their first-round clash.
Buyunchaokete earns his maiden ATP Tour win at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Up next for #NextGenATP ‘Bu’ is a meeting with Astana finalist Sebastian Korda. Victory for the Chinese will further boost his qualification hopes for the season-ending Next Gen ATP Finals. He began his Shanghai campaign at 24th in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah.
There were also wins for Yoshihito Nishioka, Yannick Hanfmann and Thanasi Kokkinakis early on Day 1 at the Qizhong Tennis Center. Nishioka defeated Daniel Altmaier 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(2) to advance to face Casper Ruud, while Hanfmann pulled through 6-4, 6-7(10), 6-3 against qualifier James Duckworth and will next play Christopher Eubanks.
Kokkinakis spent a comfortable 80 minutes on Stadium Court, where he eased past wild card Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-4. The Australian next faces a big-serving battle against 16th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
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