Russian tennis player Safiullin reaches second round at Shanghai Masters
In short
Roman Safiullin, ranked 79th in the world, advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters by beating Australia's Rinki Hijikata 7:5, 6:3. His next opponent is Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 20th. The tournament runs until 18 October.
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Roman Safiullin, ranked 79th in the world, reached the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters, an ATP Masters 1000 tournament, Russian outlets reported. According to TASS and Kommersant, he beat Australia's Rinki Hijikata 7:5, 6:3 in the first round. Hijikata is ranked 85th, Kommersant said. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Kommersant reported that Safiullin's next opponent will be Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo, the world No. 20. Safiullin came through qualifying to reach the main draw, the newspaper said. It added that other Russian players in Shanghai include Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Pavel Kotov and Ilya Simakin. [ 3 ]
Kommersant put the tournament's total prize fund at more than $9.4 million and said the event ends on 18 October. Last year's winner was Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, it said. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
The result keeps a Russian player in the main draw of an ATP Masters 1000 event, one of the top-tier stops on the men's tour, and sets up a second-round match against a top-20 opponent. Five other Russian players are also entered in Shanghai, according to Kommersant, so the tournament is a notable week for the country's men's tennis contingent.
Key facts
- Roman Safiullin advanced to the second round of the Shanghai Rolex Masters. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Safiullin beat Australia's Rinki Hijikata 7:5, 6:3 in the first round. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Hijikata is ranked 85th in the ATP rankings, according to Kommersant. [ 3 ]
- Safiullin is ranked 79th in the world, according to Kommersant. [ 3 ]
- Safiullin reached the main draw through qualifying, Kommersant reported. [ 3 ]
- Other Russian players in Shanghai include Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, Pavel Kotov and Ilya Simakin, per Kommersant. [ 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Safiullin's next opponent, Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo (20th in the world), as reported by Kommersant. Only Kommersant names the next opponent; the other two documents describe the result in general terms without mentioning him.
- The tournament's total prize fund, given by Kommersant as more than $9.4 million. Single-source figure, stated only in Kommersant's article.
- The tournament's closing date of 18 October and last year's winner, Valentin Vacherot of Monaco. Mentioned only by Kommersant; not corroborated by the other documents.