Tomas Machac's Stunning Run at the Rolex Shanghai Masters: A Quarterfinals Preview

Tomas Machac, the No. 30 seed from the Czech Republic, has made a remarkable journey to the quarterfinals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. His latest victory over American Tommy Paul, the No. 11 seed, has set the stage for an intriguing matchup against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, the No. 3 seed, in the quarterfinals on Thursday, October 10.

Machac's path to the quarterfinals has been nothing short of impressive. He edged out Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a thrilling three-set match (1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4) and then defeated Australian qualifier Aleksandar Vukic (6-4, 6-2) in the previous rounds of the tournament.

Tommy Paul, ranked No. 13, had a strong start in the tournament, beating Italian Fabio Fognini (6-1, 6-3) and Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, the No. 19 seed (6-7 (2), 7-6 (6), 6-2) before facing Machac.

The Upcoming Match: Machac vs. Alcaraz

In the quarterfinals, Machac will face a formidable opponent in Carlos Alcaraz. Alcaraz is favored to win with odds of -1099 compared to Machac's +600. Alcaraz has been on a roll, recently winning against Karen Khachanov in the quarterfinals of the China Open with a score of 7-5, 6-2.

Machac, however, is confident about his chances. In an interview, he explained that he has a 'chance' against Alcaraz due to his recent form and the fact that he has been playing well on hard courts.

The statistics also favor Alcaraz slightly. Over the past year, Alcaraz has played 59 matches across all court types, averaging 25.2 games per match. On hard courts specifically, he has won 56.5% of his matches and 83.9% of his service games.

Machac, on the other hand, has been averaging 25.3 games per match over the past year and has a service game winning percentage of 78.2% on all surfaces. He has also shown resilience in his recent matches, winning 75.6% of his service games over his last 10 tournaments.

The Road to the Quarterfinals

Machac's journey to the quarterfinals has been marked by several notable victories. His comeback win against Tommy Paul in the last 16 was particularly impressive, as he fought back from a 3-6 first set loss to win 6-4, 6-3.

The Qi Zhong Tennis Center has been the stage for many exciting matches in this year's Shanghai Masters. Other notable quarterfinal matchups include David Goffin vs. Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz vs. Holger Rune, Roman Safiullin vs. Novak Djokovic, Jakub Mensik vs. Grigor Dimitrov, and Daniil Medvedev vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas.

The Rolex Shanghai Masters has been a platform for young players like Machac and Jakub Mensik to showcase their skills. Both players have been making waves in the tennis world with their exciting brand of tennis, replicating their achievements in Shanghai.

As the quarterfinals get underway, tennis fans are eagerly anticipating the match between Machac and Alcaraz. Will Machac's determination and recent form be enough to upset the odds and take down the favored Alcaraz? Only time will tell.