Shanghai Masters 2025 Day Three Recap

Day three on the 2025 Shanghai Rolex Masters delivered its justifiable share of upsets and a reminder that nothing comes straightforward in a 96-player Masters draw.

Novak Djokovic returned to motion with a hard-fought win over Marin Cilic, David Goffin shocked sixth seed Ben Shelton, and qualifier Valentin Vacherot produced the upset of the day by toppling Alexander Bublik.

Elsewhere, Taylor Fritz survived a three-set thriller to succeed in win No. 50 on the season, whereas Zizou Bergs despatched Casper Ruud packing after the Norwegian retired damage.

Qualifiers continued to shine, with Yannick Hanfmann knocking out a struggling Frances Tiafoe to guide a blockbuster third-round conflict with Djokovic.

Day Three Shanghai Masters 2025 Spherical of 128 Outcomes

Winner
Loser
Scoreline

Learner Tien
Miomir Kecmanovic
4-6 6-3 6-4

David Goffin
Ben Shelton (6)
6-2 6-4

Gabriel Diallo (31)
Benjamin Bonzi
6-4 6-4

Francisco Cerundolo (19)
Adrian Mannarino
7-6(3) 7-6(4)

Zizou Bergs
Casper Ruud (11)
3-6 7-5 4-1 RET

Jaume Munar
Flavio Cobolli (22)
7-5 6-1

Yannick Hanfmann (Q)
Frances Tiafoe (25)
6-7(9) 6-2 6-1

Novak Djokovic (4)
Marin Cilic
7-6(2) 6-4

Taylor Fritz (5)
Fabian Marozsan
2-6 7-6(4) 7-6(1)

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (32)
Luca Nardi
6-3 7-6(4)

Ugo Humbert (21)
Jordan Thompson
6-3 7-6(4)

Holger Rune (10)
Sebastian Baez
7-5 6-4

Valentin Vacherot (Q)
Alexander Bublik (14)
3-6 6-3 6-4

Tomas Machac (20)
Mattia Bellucci
6-3 6-4

Tallon Griekspoor (27)
Jenson Brooksby (PR)
6-1 1-6 6-1

Key Matches

Novak Djokovic def. Marin Cilic (7-6(2), 6-4)

Novak Djokovic channelled some new techniques to beat Marin Cilic in a 1-hour, 55-minute battle, marking his return to tour-level play because the US Open semi-final loss to Carlos Alcaraz.

Battling humidity, the Serb used sawdust on his arms, one thing you sometimes see in cricket when it’s damp, to assist maintain a grip of the racket and take in Cilic’s 20 first-set winners.

Djokovic raised his stage put up a short again tweak, counting on sharp serving to safe his fortieth Shanghai win. He faces Yannick Hanfmann subsequent.

David Goffin def. Ben Shelton (6) (6-2, 6-4)

David Goffin shocked sixth seed Ben Shelton in straight units, claiming his second Prime 10 win of 2025 and snapping Shelton’s Turin momentum.

The Belgian saved all three break factors and took the ball tremendous early to outplay the American, who remains to be affected by the shoulder downside he sustained on the US Open.

Valentin Vacherot (Q) def. Alexander Bublik (14) (3-6, 6-3, 6-4)

Qualifier Valentin Vacherot (No. 202) pulled off the day’s greatest upset, rallying previous 14th seed Alexander Bublik for his first Prime 20 win and Masters 1000 third-round berth. The Monegasque’s comeback, fueled by improved baseline depth, turned the tide after dropping the opener.

Yannick Hanfmann def. Frances Tiafoe (25) (6-7(9), 6-2, 6-1)

Qualifier Yannick Hanfmann dismantled twenty fifth seed Frances Tiafoe in a comeback win, extending Tiafoe’s skid to 5 straight losses (together with a US Open third-round exit).

Hanfmann, constructing on his qualifying surge, dominated after a marathon first-set tiebreak, showcasing aggressive returns to arrange a blockbuster third-round conflict with Djokovic.

Taylor Fritz (5) def. Fabian Marozsan (2-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(1))

Fifth seed Taylor Fritz, contemporary off his Tokyo remaining loss to Carlos Alcaraz, mounted a gritty comeback to defeat Fabian Marozsan in a virtually three-hour encounter, securing his fiftieth win of the 2025 season (34-11 on exhausting). 

Fritz has actually floor out a variety of wins this 12 months when not at his greatest, and I’m exhausting pushed to recollect a match the place he didn’t combat tooth and nail till the final level, so it’s no actual shock he’s as much as 4 on the planet.

Zizou Bergs def. Casper Ruud (11) (6-3, 5-7, 1-4 RET)

Zizou Bergs scored a dramatic upset over eleventh seed Casper Ruud, advancing to the third spherical when the Norwegian retired as a consequence of a wrist damage at 1-4 within the decider after 2 hours.

Highlights

Shanghai Masters 2025 Day 4 Spherical of 64 Matches