World number one Jannik Sinner overcame a one-set deficit to win 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 against Tomas Martin Etcheverry at the Shanghai Tennis Masters.
Twenty-four hours after winning his 250th career match with a straight-set victory, the 23-year-old Italian faced a much tougher third round against the 37th-ranked Argentinian under the roof of the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, which hosted the match due to rain.
Sinner will then face the American Ben Shelton (16th ) , who beat the Italian last year, or the Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena.
Etcheverry produced the shot of the night with a stunning drop volley to force a set point in the deciding game of the first set, which he converted to take the lead.
Sinner began to find his groove in the second set and after a break exchange in the middle of the set, the Italian found another chance to equalise.
Sinner took the upper hand in the third round, breaking Etcheverry twice more to win in two hours and 39 minutes.
Due to heavy rain at the tournament venue, only matches on the main court were played. Those scheduled to be played on the outdoor courts were postponed until Monday.
“It was a very tough match physically [and] mentally, so I’m very happy to have gotten through this one,” said Sinner, who is seeking a seventh title in 2024.
In another third-round clash, world number five Russian Daniil Medvedev also came from behind to claim a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Matteo Arnaldi.
This victory allowed him to qualify for the fourth round against Stefanos Tsitsipas (12th ) or Alexandre Muller.
Medvedev, 28, was forced to dig deep to level the match after the Italian won a tight first set.
In the deciding set, Medvedev’s experience and composure were used to achieve a decisive break in the ninth game. He held on and wrapped up the match in two hours and 44 minutes.
Later in the evening, Carlos Alcaraz, ranked second in the world and winner of the China Open on Wednesday for his fourth title of the year, beat China’s Wu Yibing 7-6 (5), 6-3.
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