Shanghai Masters: Rinderknech advances to a Masters 1000 quarter-finals for the first time in career

Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech defeated Czech Jiri Lehecka, the No. 15 seed, 6-3, 7-6 (5), to advance to the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters at the Qi Zhong Tennis Center on Wednesday.

It is the first time Rinderknech has reached a quarter-final at the Masters 1000 level. This is also his third victory over a seeded player at this year’s Shanghai event, after beating German Alexander Zverev, the No. 3 seed (4-6, 6-3, 6-2), and American Alex Michelsen, the No. 28 seed (6-3, 6-4).

Rinderknech, ranked No. 54, will face the winner of the match between Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No. 12 seed, and Italian Lorenzo Musetti, the No. 8 seed. He will be ranked No.43 in the world at the next ATP rankings, close to his best rank ever (No. 42).

The 30-year-old had first broke into the Top 50 in January 2022 after reaching his first ATP Tour final in Adelaide-2, later becoming France’s No. 1 player and achieving a career-high ranking of No. 42 that October.

He captured his first Top 10 win in June 2025 at Queen’s Club over No. 10 Ben Shelton, and followed it by upsetting Zverev at Wimbledon for his biggest career victory. With his win over Lehecka, Rinderknech improves to 6-3 against Top 20 opponents since June, after going 0-16 against such players from the start of 2023 until mid-2025.

Shanghai Masters 1000, other last 16 results (Qi Zhong Tennis Center, hard, USD 9.193.538, most recent results first):

• Learner Tien vs. Daniil Medvedev : Wednesday
• Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Lorenzo Musetti: Wednesday
• Nuno Borges vs. Alex De Minaur: Wednesday

• Valentin Vacherot (Q) beat Tallon Griekspoor (27): 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (4) beat Jaume Munar: 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
• Holger Rune (10) beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard (32): 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-3
• Zizou Bergs beat Gabriel Diallo (31): 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (8)