Shanghai: Alex de Minaur has set up a tasty third-round encounter with Alexander Zverev after a straight-sets win at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.
The Australian eased to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Frenchman Benoit Paire as his late season run gains momentum.
Already at a career high No.33 in the world, the 19-year-old is eyeing off more rankings points as he closes in on a seeding at next year's Australian Open.
It is his first third-round appearance at a Masters series event, the highest-rated tournaments outside the grand slams.
Standing in his way of a quarter-final appearance is German Zverev, who enjoyed an impressive second-round win over in-form Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili 7-5, 6-4.
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World No.5 Zverev had too much in the tank for de Minaur in the Washington final in August where he won in straight sets but the Australian pushed him to a fifth-set tiebreaker at the Davis Cup earlier in the year.
Alex De Minaur is having a strong run at the Shanghai Masters.Credit:AP
Defending champion Roger Federer began his campaign with a hard-fought 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over big-serving Russian Daniil Medvedev.
Federer, 37, returns to Shanghai hoping to boost his career tally to 99 titles.
Medvedev, who won the Japan Open on Sunday, conceded a break in game nine to allow Federer to complete the set with a quick fire serve and volley in 35 minutes.
But the 22-year-old Russian stormed back in the second set and broke Federer's serve at 5-4 to force a decider.
However, the world No.2 was gifted a break in the ninth game of the third set after a Medvedev mis-hit, allowing the Swiss to confirm the win with an ace in one hour and 53 minutes.
Federer will play Spain's Roberto Bautista-Agut in round three after he dismissed 23-year-old American Mackenzie McDonald 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
Juan Martin del Potro had to battle from behind twice against Richard Gasquet to claim his third-round spot with a 7-5, 7-6 (9-7) victory.
The 2018 US Open finalist trailed 2-0 in the first set before stealing the lead from Gasquet's grasp with a late break.
Exciting Greek 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas joins the last-16 stage after his 6-4, 7-6 (10-8) success over Russian Karen Khachanov and will play Wimbledon finalist Kevin Anderson, who beat Mikhail Kukushkin.
Three-time Shanghai Masters champion Novak Djokovic will have the chance to avenge a grand slam loss in the next round.
The reigning Wimbledon and US Open champion will face Marco Cecchinato next after the Italian beat South Korea's Hyeon Chung 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) in a two hours and 34 minutes thriller.
Cecchinato, who is ranked 21st in the world and seeded 16th, ended Djokovic's French Open run with a shock quarter-final win in June.
