Alexander Zverev moved into the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday after overcoming a mid-match ankle scare to defeat Chinese home favourite Wu Yibing 6-4, 7-6 (4) in one hour and 36 minutes. The result keeps the German on track in one of the season's final Masters 1000 events.

Zverev's Ankle Scare and Recovery

Zverev's progress was briefly threatened late in the second set when, leading 6-5 before play levelled at 5-5, he appeared to twist his ankle while hitting a backhand from the left side of the court. The world No. 2 grimaced but quickly regained his footing and moved freely enough to close out the set in a tiebreak, sealing the match without dropping a set.

'He hits every ball as hard as he can, so the match doesn't depend on you too much apart from your serve,' Zverev said after the win. 'I thought I was serving ok, but everything else is in his hands, and he was playing well in the second set, so I am pleased to have got through in straight sets.'

Cobolli Stunned by Mannarino

The day's biggest upset came when World No. 7 Flavio Cobolli was eliminated by World No. 83 Adrian Mannarino 1-6, 6-4, 3-6 in the second round. The loss compounded a difficult stretch for the Italian, who had also suffered a first-round defeat the previous week in Beijing. Cobolli struggled to find his rhythm across both tournaments and now exits Shanghai without building on his seeded status.

Shelton Celebrates Birthday with a Win

Ben Shelton marked his 24th birthday in fitting style, defeating Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-6 (6) to advance. The American, who recently reached the US Open final — where he lost to Zverev — is chasing his second Masters 1000 title of the season after his earlier triumph at the Canada Masters. A potential rematch with Zverev later in the draw adds to the narrative intrigue.

Sakamoto Upsets Former Finalist Rublev

Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto, ranked World No. 137, produced arguably the round's most striking result by defeating former finalist Andrey Rublev (World No. 23) 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 22 minutes on Court 3. Sakamoto broke Rublev twice and saved all break points he faced, advancing to the round of 32 in a performance that belied his ranking. This is the second notable qualifier scalp at the tournament, underlining how the bottom half of draws at hardcourt Masters events can be volatile in form.

What to Watch Next

With Zverev, Shelton, and Sakamoto all through, the round of 32 sets up compelling match-ups. The fitness of Zverev's ankle will be closely monitored ahead of his next outing, while Shelton's birthday momentum could carry him deep into the draw.