Carlos Alcaraz improves to 4-0 against Daniel Evans at Shanghai Rolex Masters

Chris Eubanks' time at the Shanghai Rolex Masters came to an end on Sunday, when the American lost his second-round match to No. 8 seed Casper Ruud in straight sets. Many—most?—players would turn the page on the tournament at that point. But not Eubanks, the player/commentator who is always up for some good tennis, even if it's not his own.

What Eubanks witnessed was Alcaraz's fourth victory in four tries over the Brit, but it was hardly a fait accompli. Alcaraz needed a tiebreak to win the first set—albeit 7-1—and the score didn't deflate the headstrong Evans whatsoever. He was broken three times, just once more than Alcaraz—at one point, the 20-year-old was 1 of 13 on break points—and he finished with more winners (17) than unforced errors (11).

Problem was, Alcaraz finished with 21 more winners than unforced errors—32 in all. Still, the Spaniard needed nearly two-and-a-half hours to emerge as the winner, speaking to Evans' similarly strong level of play. The 33-year-old led Alcaraz 4-1 in the first set and 2-1 in the second, but couldn't hold off his similarly headstrong opponent.

It's hard to believe, but Alcaraz hasn't won a title since Wimbledon. His star hasn't waned, however, and he's made deep runs at every event he's played. Next up for Alcaraz is Grigor Dimitrov, whom he's 3-0 against. Look for Carlitos to earn another 4-0 head-to-head advantage, while playing some of his best tennis—and perhaps inspiring his adversary to do the same.