In just his third tour-level quarter-final, world No.33 Machac provided the sensation of the tournament so far with his two-hour 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 win, his second victory over a top-five opponent this year.
Next, Machac will play world No.1 Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals after the Italian swept aside Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.
Carlos Alcaraz hits the net in frustration during his defeat by Machac. (AP PHOTO)
"I knew that the level of my tennis would be great because I am playing the best right now, for sure," Machac said of his win.
"I beat Tommy Paul last match with an unbelievable performance. With these types of players, I have to play this level otherwise it's 6-2 6-3 and you go home, there is no other option.
Alcaraz, who won the China Open in a thriller against Sinner last week, learned of Rafael Nadal's retirement announcement shortly before going on court but said the news about his idol hadn't affected his match.
"It is a really difficult thing, really difficult news for everybody, and even tougher for me," Alcaraz said.Â
"He has been my idol since I start playing tennis. I look up to him. Proudly, thanks to him, I really wanted to become a professional tennis player. Losing him, in a certain way, is going to be difficult for us, so I will try to enjoy as much as I can when he's going to play.
"But we are going to play in Saudi Arabia, and then Davis Cup, so I'm going to try to enjoy as much as I can the time with him. But, yeah, it is a shame for tennis and for me."
Sinner advanced to his fifth ATP Masters semi of the season, starting strongly and only facing one break point in his 6-1 6-4 masterclass over Medvedev, who needed treatment on his shoulder from the physio during the second set.
A+ performance �— ATP Tour (@atptour) The moment @janniksin secured his spot into the last 4!@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/2F8BuJR1QsOctober 10, 2024
"I'm very happy how I handled today and this match," Sinner said.
"It felt like he had a bit of shoulder pain and couldn't hit his forehand as well as he wished to. Hopefully, he can recover as fast as possible, but from my side it was a great match, a great battle, and let's see what I can do now in the semifinals."
With Thursday's win, the two-time major winner has levelled his head-to-head series against Medvedev at 7-7, but has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Russian."
With Thursday's win, the two-time major winner has levelled his head-to-head series against Medvedev at 7-7, but has won seven of the last eight meetings with the Russian.
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