Ekaraz advances to Tokyo men's tennis semi-finals, Shapovalov retires due to injury

Alkaraz (left). (European News Agency)

[Reporter Liang Weiming/Comprehensive Report] When Carlos Alcaraz encountered a stubborn resistance and led Denis Shapovalov 7:6 (7:3), 2:1, the Canadian left-handed SLR champion withdrew due to an injury to his right thigh. The Spanish top-seeded defending champion advanced to the top 4 of the Tokyo Men's Tennis Championships with 3 consecutive victories and continued to move towards his second consecutive championship.

"My serve was a little frustrating. I couldn't find a good way to serve, and I struggled in almost every game. But I was happy to get back on my feet every time I was broken." Ekaraz was broken three times in the first set, but he withstood the pressure at 4:5 and used a short ball to resolve the crisis at the end of the set, and then staged a wonderful reversal with a 7-7 break. In the second set, Shapovalov stretched his hand to hit the ball while running and strained his hip and thigh muscles. After applying for an off-field medical timeout, he was still unable to continue the game. Ekaraz felt the same way: "It's a shame that he had to withdraw. It was not my wish to advance in this way, but sports competition is sometimes so cruel, and you have to accept it. I hope he can participate in the Shanghai Masters in good health."

Ekaraz won the ATP 500 professional hard court tournament last year. However, he suffered from a right wrist injury this year and returned from a layoff of nearly 5 months. He stopped in the quarterfinals of the US Open and helped the European team win the Laver Cup. He immediately moved to Tokyo. The 23-year-old continued his 8-game winning streak across the season. In the semi-finals, he encountered compatriot Jaume Munar, who entered the tournament outside the tournament. The "Spanish Civil War" decided who would win the championship ticket.