Hungarian player Fabian Marozsan orchestrated an admirable performance to defeat eighth seed Casper Ruud at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Tuesday. In a captivating fourth round match, the world number 82 Marozsan prevailed with a scoreline of 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4.
The 24-year-old Marozsan extended his streak of winning consecutive sets to seven at the Masters 1000 event. Demonstrating composure in the tiebreak, he edged past world number 9 Ruud in a tense deciding set. This victory has earned Marozsan a place in his first ever Masters 1000 quarterfinal, where he will face 16th seed Hubert Hurkacz or Chinese player Zhang Zhizhen.
"I am delighted to have defeated a top-seeded opponent in Shanghai. I believe I played one of my strongest matches here. Claiming the first set was a boon. Though the subsequent sets posed a challenge as Casper elevated his game, I am overjoyed to have won the match," remarked Marozsan on his achievement.
Both athletes exhibited steadfast focus under duress throughout their inaugural meeting. Ruud valiantly saved 12 out of 14 break points while Marozsan denied 8 out of 11. However, Marozsan uncovered an extra reserve of tenacity in the final set to gain the decisive break in the ninth game before staunchly serving out the hard-fought 2 hour 41 minute victory.
This marks Marozsan's second Top 10 win this season, having previously upset world number 2 Carlos Alcaraz in Rome. He also defeated world number 11 Alex de Minaur in Shanghai. When asked about competing against top players, Marozsan simply stated, "I am honored to play in these prestigious tournaments and am feeling in fine form."
In another exceptional match, Sebastian Korda reached the quarterfinals as well by vanquishing Francisco Cerundolo. The 26th seed Korda skillfully protected a lead before Cerundolo mounted an impressive counterattack. Korda eventually prevailed 7-5, 7-6(6) in 1 hour and 40 minutes.
"I am deeply satisfied with remaining composed during the tiebreak after being behind," remarked Korda. "I retained faith in my ability and aggressively pursued each point." With this milestone win, Korda will attain a new career-high ranking. His composed performance bodes well for future success at this elite level of competition.