No close shave as moustachioed Alcaraz eases through in Shanghai

Carlos Alcaraz entered the Shanghai Masters with a unique appearance as he unveiled a moustache for the tournament. The second seed, along with his team, donned the facial hair during their match against Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo. The decision to sport the moustache was motivated by Alcaraz's recent victory at the Tokyo Open, marking his first title since February.

Alcaraz expressed his enthusiasm for the moustache trend, stating that he had always desired to compete on court with facial hair. The Spaniard explained that the moustache idea originated from a collective agreement after his Tokyo triumph, where all team members would join Alcaraz on the Shanghai court adorned with facial hair.

The experience was meant to be enjoyable, with the team members laughing and engaging in lighthearted banter throughout the matches. Fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime put up a tough fight against Camilo Ugo Carabelli, overcoming a set difference to prevail 4-6, 7-6 (7-1), 7-5. Daniil Medvedev, who returned to action after being defaulted in Beijing for striking a spectator with a loose ball, battled back from a set down to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Stefanos Tsitsipas also demonstrated resilience, overcoming a lengthy delay caused by overly bright screens at the back of the court to beat Luciano Darderi 6-3, 6-4.