Grigor Dimitrov upset second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter finals at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.

Dimitrov, who hadn’t beaten the former world No. 1 in their three previous meetings, was crisp from both wings and used his backhand drop shot to keep top-seeded Alcaraz off balance. The Bulgarian struck 29 winners and 10 aces and rallied after relinquishing a 5-3 lead in the first set to reach his 17th Masters quarterfinal.

“I stayed in the match, that was the first thing, especially after the first set,” Dimitrov said.

“After the second break in the second set, I think I understood his service games and was able to put more balls in and read his serve a bit better.

“I think in the third set it was a bit of cat-and-mouse. I think we both played a solid set. He made a few errors and I was very solid and served well when I had to.”

“I knew what I had to do,” Dimitrov said when reflecting on his win. “I knew I had to apply constant pressure against him. Even if I was down, even if my shots were not good enough, I had to put him in uncomfortable positions.

“He doesn’t like being on the back foot. I was coming in quite a little bit and trying to put him in awkward positions.”

Alcaraz now holds a 63-9 record on the season, with his defeat to Dimitrov damaging his ATP year-end No. 1 chances.

The World No. 2 was chasing his seventh crown of the season and third at ATP Masters 1000 level. Alcaraz has clinched trophies in Indian Wells and Madrid in 2023.

Dimitrov will next meet 22nd-seeded Nicolas Jarry, who beat wild-card Diego Schwartzmann 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 to make the last eight of a Masters tournament for the first time.

Also, Ugo Humbert eliminated J.J. Wolf 6-1, 6-2 in a dominant 58-minute victory. The 32nd-seeded Frenchman did not face a break point and had 17 winners to Wolf’s four.

“It was a great performance from me, I played a great level,” Humbert said. “I’m very proud.

“I was really focused from the beginning until the end. Last year I was in Challengers so it’s a great improvement. It’s daily work and we built something good. I’m very happy to be in the quarters here.”

Nadal set to return in Australia

Melbourne: Rafael Nadal will return to grand slam action at the Australian Open in January, tournament director Craig Tiley announced on Wednesday.

“I appreciate the vote of confidence from the Australian Open… I am practising every day and working hard to come back asap,” Nadal posted on X later.

The 37-year-old former world No. 1 has been sidelined since hurting his hip flexor in a second-round loss to Mackenzie McDonald at the Melbourne Park major earlier this year.

Tiley told Nine Network’s The Today Show that Nadal had confirmed his participation in the grand slam.”We can reveal exclusively here that Rafa will be back,” Tiley said.

However, Nadal’s representative Benito Perez-Barbadillo said that no timeline has been set for his comeback.

“Rafa is practising,” Perez-Barbadillo said. “But there is no date confirmed yet for his comeback.”

Reuters