Zizou Bergs knocked Carlos Alcaraz out of the Shanghai Masters in the third round, winning 7-5 7-6(4) in what he described as the biggest victory of his career. The world No. 43, who reached the quarter-finals in Shanghai last year before losing to Novak Djokovic, overcame the second seed in straight sets.
Bergs overcomes frustration and break
Alcaraz appeared out of sorts throughout the match, growing frustrated and venting towards his team as he struggled with the conditions. Bergs, however, took full advantage and recovered to win in straight sets despite being broken when serving for the match at 6-5.
It is the Belgian's most significant win to date. He had previously lost to other multi-Grand Slam champions, including Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
'Too much respect' for top players
Bergs explained that he had to realise he was facing the player, not the name. "It's nice. This is something that has been very tough for me. I often have too much respect for these guys, which is part of the culture and I'm proud of that, but it's a little bit in the way when you have to play them," the 27-year-old said.
"I think I had a great moment here last year against Djokovic, where I was definitely playing the name, not the guy. And the more experience you have by practising against them, playing matches, the more it becomes the new standard a little bit on the tour."
A 'relief' and a new standard
Bergs described the win as a relief. "So to have this moment is really, for me, like a relief. Like, okay, I really feel like I can win against those guys, not just I can play against them, I can win against them. It's a matter of staying, also, in the process and trying to be better all the time, and that's the only way to do it, step by step."
The victory marks a career milestone for Bergs, who now advances to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters.
