Grigor Dimitrov’s semifinal run in Shanghai is a good time to notice he’s having one of his best seasons

Brandon Nakashima needed a big win after dropping well outside of the Top 100 last week. On Friday in Shanghai, the 22-year-old produced one of—if not his best—performances of the season.

Taking on fifth-ranked Holger Rune, Nakashima required just 67 minutes to advance past the Dane. The world No. 122 rolled, 6-0, 6-2, to secure the first Top 10 win of his career.

“I’m definitely happy with the level I was playing at. Maybe it wasn’t his best tennis today out here, but I was just focusing on myself,” Nakashima said in a courtside interview.

Nakashima clinched back-to-back wins for just the third time in 2023, with his best run coming in Lyon when he made the semifinals. The San Diego native began this Masters 1000 event at just 11-19 on the year. For a place in the fourth round, Nakashima will meet China’s Zhang Zhizhen, who became the first home favorite to reach the third round following his 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 rally over No. 28 seed Tomas Martín Etcheverry.

Nakashima did not drop serve against the No. 3 seed, saving the lone break point he faced.

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Rune, who struggled with a back injury after Wimbledon but said he was “feeling healthy” going into Beijing, has now lost six of his past seven matches. More importantly, the 20-year-old missed a chance to bolster his No. 8 position in the race to the ATP Finals. The same can be said for fellow Turin hopeful Alexander Zverev.

The ninth seed was handily beaten by Roman Safiullin. The Russian advanced, 6-3, 6-1, thanks to converting four of six break points. Zverev, one spot ahead of Rune on the current race leaderboard, won 48 percent of his first-serve points in defeat.

In the first round, Safiullin decisively eliminated Andy Murray. He gets US Open semifinalist Ben Shelton next, after the 19th seed beat Jaume Munar, 6-4, 6-4.

Eighth seed Casper Ruud is among the players on the outside looking in hoping to make up significant ground on Rune and Zverev. The runner-up in Turin last year, Ruud won his Shanghai debut by easing past Yoshihito Nishioka, 7-5, 6-0.

The Norwegian is currently 10th in the race, but can surpass Rune by reaching the final—and Zverev if he lifts his biggest trophy to date. Ruud meets No. 29 seed Chris Eubanks, a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 victor over Yannick Hanfmann, for a round-of-16 berth.

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