Medvedev wins Shanghai return after China Open disqualification

Daniil Medvedev beat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 52 minutes in the Shanghai Masters second round, his first match since a China Open default. He hit 21 aces, won 88 percent of first-serve points, broke Struff three times, was broken twice and saved four break points for his 10th career win over the German. Medvedev has 31 hard-court wins in 2026 plus Dubai, Brisbane and Hangzhou titles and is the 2019 Shanghai champion. He was defaulted in Beijing during a China Open semifinal against Novak Djokovic after a ball struck a spectator near the left eye while Medvedev trailed 5-7, 3-5, 15-15. He told reporters, "I feel terribly sorry for him actually, and I just hope he's okay," adding he hoped to meet him and make up for it. After beating Struff he said, "When I broke him I felt like I could win it"; he hit a backhand volley to lead 4-2 in the third set and told an on-court interviewer the surface was different from Beijing and "it was a bit tough to get used to." He next faces the winner of Dalibor Svrcina versus Tomas Martin Etcheverry. News.az listed Medvedev ranked sixth and Struff 59th; Hans India had Medvedev eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin.