Aziz Dougaz produced a surprise at the Shanghai Masters with a victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The Tunisian won a hard-fought match 7-6, 5-7, 6-4, beating the top seed in qualifying across three sets. What initially looked like a straightforward contest on the outdoor hard court tilted in favour of the left-hander.
Dougaz edges a tight opener
The first set was evenly contested and only resolved in a tiebreak. Aziz Dougaz held his nerve in the crucial rallies to take it 7-6. Lorenzo Sonego, who had entered the match as the No. 1 seed in qualifying, could not find an adequate response to his opponent's aggressive game.
The match statistics underlined just how close the contest was throughout. Dougaz won 48 per cent of points overall, but remained highly reliable on his serve. He held serve in 94 per cent of his service games and saved 86 per cent of the break points Sonego had earned.
Sonego forces a deciding set
Lorenzo Sonego refused to fold after dropping the opener. The right-hander upped the pressure from the baseline and took the second set, leaving Aziz Dougaz on the wrong side of a 5-7 scoreline. That levelled the match, despite Dougaz having made the better start.
Sonego was particularly effective on his first serve, winning 84 per cent of those points and striking 12 aces in total. Dougaz hit back, landing 73 per cent of his first serves and winning 74 per cent of those points. The contrasting serving strengths shaped the contest, though neither player could establish lasting control.
Dougaz stays composed in the third set
In the deciding set, Aziz Dougaz rediscovered his rhythm. He moved Lorenzo Sonego around with precise groundstrokes from the baseline and waited patiently for the key opportunities. Sonego remained dangerous, but Dougaz prevailed in the extended rallies and closed out the set 6-4.
The break point conversion figures also reflected his greater efficiency. Dougaz converted half of his break points, while Sonego managed to take just 14 per cent of his chances. The Tunisian also struck 21 winners and committed only three double faults — enough to withstand the pressure in the final set and seal victory after a long battle.
A significant step for the Tunisian
For Aziz Dougaz, the win carried extra weight as he had not previously recorded a victory at ATP main-draw level. His experience had been gathered almost exclusively on the lower rungs of the tour, and he entered the match on a Protected Ranking, while Sonego was ranked considerably higher as the top seed in qualifying.
It was also the first meeting between the two players. In the three months leading up to the match, Dougaz had climbed more than 400 places in the rankings, underlining his rapid progress. Sonego, meanwhile, missed the chance to improve his record in Shanghai. Of his four previous appearances at the tournament, he had exited in the first round on three occasions, with his best run coming in 2023 when he reached the third round.
