Mpetshi Perricard Achieves Remarkable Victory Over Fritz in Shanghai
Powerful French rising star set to battle Rune next
October 05, 2025
Image credit: Hu Chengwei/Getty Images
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard stuns Taylor Fritz in an electrifying match on Sunday.
By Andy West
Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard marked a monumental day in his career at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Sunday, pulling off a stunning victory against World No. 4, Taylor Fritz.
With a scoreline of 6-4, 7-5, Perricard achieved the most significant win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking. This one-hour and 25-minute triumph came at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena and served as sweet revenge for his earlier defeat to Fritz at Wimbledon, where he had wasted a two-set lead earlier this year. Most importantly, this victory secured Perricard’s first-ever spot in the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 event.
You gotta do what you gotta do 🫡@MpetshiG | @SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/WPxBlY3oAo
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 5, 2025
Though Perricard won in straight sets, the sweltering conditions in Shanghai posed a challenging test for both competitors. The Frenchman’s skill to capitalize on pivotal moments, especially when Fritz showed signs of fatigue late in the match, was a game changer.
Perricard executed a crucial service break during a dramatic 11th game of the second set after Fritz squandered a 30/0 lead and struggled to find winners in the humid atmosphere. He then served out the match confidently, firing off 12 aces and never facing a break point, as highlighted by Infosys ATP Stats.
“My previous record was less than ideal, standing at 0-6 against Top 10 players,” Mpetshi Perricard remarked. “I had several near-misses against players like [Lorenzo] Musetti and [Fritz] at Wimbledon. I worked on my game, and today it paid off.”
“It was a demanding match both physically and mentally, but I’m thrilled with how I performed,” he added.
While the loss in the third round complicates Fritz’s path to the Nitto ATP Finals, he remains a strong contender, currently sitting fifth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, holding a 450-point buffer over Musetti for the last qualifying spot.
Perricard’s upcoming opponent is fellow Turin hopeful, Holger Rune, who also found success on Sunday, defeating Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the second consecutive year.
The 22-year-old Rune has now achieved five tour-level victories against the same opponent for the first time in his career, holding a perfect 5-0 record in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, including two wins this year (Indian Wells and Shanghai).
“We’re both used to a different climate, but I reminded myself that he’s dealing with the same conditions,” Rune explained regarding the Shanghai humidity. “I focused on my serve and tried to conserve energy when I could.”
“I found a solid balance between being aggressive and making him work. In this kind of weather, every move feels like a workout. It was a sweaty day, but I’m ecstatic to move forward. No more excuses!”
In other notable matches earlier on Sunday, Gabriel Diallo and Zizou Bergs also moved ahead. Diallo progressed after David Goffin retired while trailing 0-3 in the opening set. He will face Bergs, who triumphed over 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo with a score of 7-6(1), 6-3.
