SHANGHAI – Daniil Medvedev returned to action with a victory Saturday, winning his first match since he was disqualified at the China Open for striking a spectator in the eye with a ball hit into the stands.
The fifth-seeded Medvedev overcame Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Shanghai Masters, an ATP 1000 tournament. The win improved his career record against Struff to 10-2.
Medvedev was disqualified Monday during his semifinal defeat to Novak Djokovic in Beijing after hitting a ball into the stands that struck the spectator.
The Russian player apologized afterward and said the incident was accidental. His disqualification also cost him the $285,000 prize money he would have earned for reaching the Beijing semifinals.
Because the Shanghai tournament features a 96-player field, the top 32 seeds received byes into the second round, making this Medvedev’s first match of the event.
Among the other early second-round matches Saturday, Camilo Ugo Carabelli was facing fourth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz, fresh off his Japan Open title last week, was scheduled to meet Juan Manuel Cerundolo in a night match in Shanghai.
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the Shanghai tournament this week after announcing that he would sit out the remainder of 2026 because of a right knee injury.
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