Croatian Borna Coric recovered from a set down to beat three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka 4-6 6-4 6-3 in the opening round of the Shanghai Masters yesterday, Coric, who had failed to win a match in his last two appearances in Beijing and Shenzhen, saved two break points at 3-3 in the second set and clinched the first four games of the decider to record his 32nd match win of the season.
It was Coric’s first victory in four meetings against former world number three Wawrinka, who has struggled on his return from knee surgery this season and entered as a wildcard. Coric, seeded 13th, will next face American qualifier Bradley Klahn, who claimed a hard-fought 4-6 6-4 6-3 win over Nick Kyrgios. The 23-year-old Australian Kyrgios lost five straight games from 4-4 in the second set to hand the momentum to Klahn. World number 104 Klahn, who fired down 18 aces, recorded just his fourth tour-level win of the season.
Greek youngster Stefanos Tsitsipas, whose run to the quarter-finals in Tokyo last week was enough to book a place at the ATP Finals in November, opened his Shanghai campaign with a 7-6(4) 4-6 6-4 win over Gael Monfils. The 20-year-old broke the Frenchman’s serve twice in the decider to set up a second round meeting with Russian Karen Khachanov. 
Canadian Milos Raonic suffered an early exit as the 2016 Wimbledon finalist lost to American qualifier Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 5-7 6-3. Big-serving American Sam Querrey struck 14 aces on his way to a 6-3 6-4 win over world number 16 Diego Schwartzman and set up a second round meeting against his compatriot Taylor Fritz, who beat Robin Haase 6-3 7-6(3).
Results (x denotes seed: 1st round: Roberto Bautista (ESP) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-3, 6-4; Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x14) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3; Sam Querrey (USA) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG x9) 6-3, 6-4; Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-3, 7-6 (7/3); Bradley Klahn (USA) bt Nick Kyrgios (AUS) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Borna Coric (CRO x13) bt Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-3, 6-4; Matthew Ebden (AUS) bt Frances Tiafoe (USA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4, 6-4; Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x10) bt Gael Monfils (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-4; Marco Cecchinato (ITA x16) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/2)
Nadal still untroubled 
atop ATP rankings
Spain’s Rafael Nadal maintained his comfortable lead in the latest ATP tennis rankings released yesterday ahead of second-placed Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in third place. Only one change affected the top 10 with Kevin Anderson of South Africa moving from ninth to eighth place while the biggest winner of the week was Georgia’s giant-killer Nikoloz Basilashvili. The unseeded Georgian rose 11 places to 23rd in the rankings after beating world number four Juan Martin Del Potro in a shock China Open win.
Latest ATP rankings:  1. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8260 pts; 2. Roger Federer (SUI) 6900; 3. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 6445; 4. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 6130; 5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4755; 6. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4535; 7. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3825; 8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3640 (+1); 9. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 3620 (-1); 10. John Isner (USA) 3380 
Three Thai chair umpires handed life bans for match-fixing
Three Thai chair umpires have been handed life bans for match-fixing and betting offences, the Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) said. The TIU said the three had admitted to betting on tennis matches at ITF Futures tournaments at which they were officiating last year.
“They also manipulated scores inputted into the official scoring system, for betting-related purposes and personal profit,” it said in a statement. The three were named as Anucha Tongplew, Apisit Promchai and Chitchai Srililai. 
The ITU said the lifetime bans were effective immediately and prohibit each “from ever officiating at, or attending, any sanctioned events organised or recognised by the governing bodies of the sport.”