Sinner Compelled to Withdraw Due to Cramping, Handing Tallon Griekspoor Victory at Shanghai Masters

In a dramatic third-round encounter at the Shanghai Masters, Jannik Sinner was compelled to withdraw against the 27th seed after suffering severe cramps in humid weather.

Their battle ended with the world No. 2 behind his Dutch opponent 7-6(3), 5-7, 2-3 when the Italian gave in to physical distress.

Brutal Conditions Take Their Toll in Shanghai

During the final weeks of a extended and arduous season, playing environments in Shanghai have been especially tough, with players confronting 90% humidity on Sunday.

Many competitors struggled badly under these demanding situations, including those scheduled for the evening matches.

In Sinner's case, being placed in the evening offered little relief against a determined Griekspoor, who dragged the contest into a deciding set.

By the final set, Sinner had visibly deteriorated in fitness, limping and suffering cramps severely before taking the choice to retire.

Griekspoor's Reaction to the Unexpected Win

This is certainly not the way you want to win,” said Griekspoor. “Brutal conditions here in this city all week already. I thought we were still a little bit lucky to play in the night without sun, but two hours, 36 minutes on the clock, halfway of the final set. I feel for him, I hope for his speedy recovery.”

Impact on the Competition

The world No. 1 had pulled out from the tournament prior to the competition because of an ankle injury suffered in his title run in Tokyo earlier this week.

The Italian's withdrawal now presents a major chance for the remaining field, such as Novak Djokovic, who progressed to the round of 16 with a hard-fought three-set win over Yannick Hanfmann.

Rising Star’s Success in Beijing

Elsewhere, Amanda Anisimova continued her incredible breakout year by winning the most significant trophy of her professional journey at the Beijing tournament.

She overcame Linda Noskova 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 to claim the title.

Anisimova has now won two WTA 1000 titles this year—at the China Open and Qatar Open—while also making two grand slam finals at the All England Club and the US Open.

Having been positioned as far down as 41st in February, she now stands at No. 4 in the WTA rankings and No. 3 in the season-long race.

This has secured her a spot in the year-end championships in Saudi Arabia for the maiden appearance in her professional life.

Triumphing Over Obstacles

Her progress over the recent week has been especially satisfying given she had dental surgery on the day she flew to Beijing.

“It’s been a challenging period for me here, for sure,” she said. “I believe like I’ve discovered a lot about myself. In my opinion I can take a lot of positives and view it as a lot of progress for me just learning ways to handle difficult situations and push myself in moments when it seems like I can’t go any further. I feel like in that regard I learned that I’m stronger than I think. This is a huge win for me.”