Hubert Hurkacz beats James Duckworth 6-3, 7-6 in Shanghai to set up Novak Djokovic clash

First-round victory in Shanghai

Hubert Hurkacz opened his Rolex Shanghai Masters campaign on Thursday with a 6-3, 7-6(7-4) victory over Australian James Duckworth. The 29-year-old Polish player required 81 minutes to secure the first-round win, converting an early break in the fourth game of the opening set to build a 3-1 lead. Hurkacz did not face a single break point during the first set, closing it out 6-3 in 28 minutes with his sixth ace. The second set remained tightly contested on serve, leading to a tie-break where Hurkacz quickly established an advantage to win 7-4. Throughout the match, Hurkacz produced 19 aces and displayed no lingering physical limitations from the adductor muscle injury that had forced him to retire in the Beijing semi-finals. His progression left him as the sole Polish player remaining in the Shanghai singles draw, following Kamil Majchrzak's first-round loss on Wednesday to Germany's Yannick Hanfmann in a match lasting three hours and 12 minutes.

Recovery and Asian swing form

The victory against Duckworth continued an active autumn stretch for Hurkacz on Asian hard courts, following a run to the final in Chengdu and a semifinal appearance in Beijing. Before arriving in Shanghai, the former world number six held the 34th spot in the ATP rankings. His entry and first-round victory moved him to 31st in the live rankings with 1,505 points, sitting 45 points behind Argentina's Tomas Etcheverry. Hurkacz had previously won the Shanghai title in 2023 against Andrey Rublev, and focused on physical preparation after his recent withdrawal in the capital.

Hurkacz explained his physical approach after the match:

I spent a lot of time on recovery to regain energy and get everything in order before this tournament, because I really love playing here.

Second-round pairing with Djokovic

The win sets up a second-round encounter against 39-year-old Novak Djokovic, the tournament's tenth seed and world number 11. Djokovic received a bye into the second round after securing his 102nd tour-level singles title on Tuesday in Beijing, where he defeated Alex de Minaur in the final. Hurkacz has lost all eight of their previous professional encounters. Their most recent meeting took place in May 2025 in the final of the ATP 250 event in Geneva, where Djokovic prevailed 5-7, 7-6(2), 7-6(2) across more than three hours of play.

Hurkacz addressed the rematch following his opening victory:

It will be an interesting challenge. I would like to play good tennis against him and earn a win. He already has several of them. I need to serve well, play solidly from the baseline, and return well. It is always a pleasure to share the court with Novak, such a great champion.

Shanghai tournament history and schedule

Djokovic holds four Shanghai Masters titles, having won the tournament in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018 after making his debut at the event's inaugural edition in 2009. Hurkacz is returning to Shanghai for the first time since claiming the trophy in 2023. Ahead of the tournament, Djokovic noted the significance of his form during the Asian swing:

It was a phenomenal week for me in Beijing, without a doubt the best this year. I am trying here in Shanghai to keep this run going and use the built confidence to go far again in the tournament, another competition in China where in the past I achieved great success.

The tournament organizers scheduled the match between Hurkacz and Djokovic on Centre Court for Friday, 9 October, at 12:00 Polish time.