Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the Shanghai Masters on 12 October as Zizou Bergs earned a 7-5, 7-6(4) third-round victory in two hours and two minutes. Bergs, the Belgian, recovered after failing to serve out the match in the second set and completed the biggest win of his career with an ace.
The result ended Alcaraz’s seven-match winning streak, which had included his Japan Open title in Tokyo. It also put Bergs into the last 16 in Shanghai, where he will play either Tommy Paul or defending champion Valentin Vacherot.
Bergs made late pressure count in both sets
The first set was close until the 11th game, when Alcaraz handed Bergs a break with a double fault and two forehand errors, according to Tennis Now. That gave Bergs a 6-5 lead and the chance to serve for the set.
Alcaraz extended that game by saving three set points, but Bergs converted the fourth when the Spaniard missed a forehand drop shot. The Belgian took the opener after 58 minutes, after the players had exchanged breaks earlier in the set.
There was little to separate them for most of the second set. Tennisuptodate reported that the first 10 service games were held, before Bergs again found the breakthrough at 6-5. Alcaraz missed two forehands to face break point and then put another forehand wide, giving Bergs the opportunity to serve for a straight-sets win.
That opportunity initially slipped away. Alcaraz produced a defensive forehand retrieval and a low backhand slice to create the opening to break back, forcing a tie-break instead of allowing Bergs to finish the match at 7-5.
The recovery did not alter Bergs’ approach in the deciding phase. Bergs regained control in the tie-break and won the final three points, according to Tennisuptodate. Tennis Now reported that Bergs sealed the victory with his ninth ace.
Serving and forehands gave Bergs the edge
Bergs’ win was not solely a product of the final tie-break. Tennis Now reported that he struck 24 winners, eight more than Alcaraz’s 16, and held a 12-4 advantage in forehand winners. The eight-winner advantage included an eight-winner margin on the forehand side, providing a numerical comparison of their attacking output.
Alcaraz’s first-set numbers illustrated the difficulty he faced. Tennis365 reported that he made 17 unforced errors while hitting seven winners in the opening set. Although he reduced the errors in the second, Bergs’ serving kept him at a distance for long stretches.
The match contained two notably different tests for Bergs. First, he had to close the opening set after Alcaraz saved three set points. Then he had to reset after Alcaraz broke him when he served for the match in the second. His response in the tie-break mattered most: the late break had created the chance, but his recovery after losing that advantage ensured it became a victory.
Tennis Now described the result as Bergs’ biggest win by ranking. The Belgian had reached the Shanghai quarter-finals a year earlier, according to Tennisuptodate, but this victory gives him a further chance to improve on that run.
What the defeat changes in Shanghai
Alcaraz had arrived after winning Tokyo and had opened his Shanghai campaign by dropping just six games against Juan Manuel Cerundolo, according to Tennisuptodate. His defeat removes the second seed before the fourth round and leaves Bergs as the player advancing from their section of the draw.
For Bergs, the immediate task is clear rather than speculative. He will face Paul or Vacherot for a place in the quarter-finals. Vacherot is the defending Shanghai champion, and Bergs was awaiting the winner of Paul’s match against Vacherot.
Alcaraz’s seven-match run therefore ends abruptly, but the scoreline also shows why Bergs’ performance carried weight. He did not simply protect an early lead: after losing the chance to serve out the second set, he won the final three points of the tie-break to eliminate the second seed.