Fritz downs Shanghai champion Vacherot in Basel as Rybakina boosts WTA Finals hopes with Fernandez rout

Shanghai Masters champion Valentin Vacherot was brought back down to earth as he suffered a narrow defeat by top seed Taylor Fritz in the Swiss Indoors first round on Wednesday.

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Fritz battled to a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 victory over the Monegasque who became the lowest-ranked player to win an ATP 1000 tournament in China earlier this month.

Vacherot climbed 165 places in the world rankings from 204th to 39th courtesy of his history-making maiden tour title.

He initially carried on from where he left off, breaking American Fritz twice to take the opening set in Basel.

World number four Fritz needed eight set points before eventually securing the second set in a tiebreak.

Vacherot again fought back from a break down in the third but his resistance was finally ended when he dropped serve in the 12th game.

Fritz will next face Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the last 16 on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Fresh from winning in Ningbo, Rybakina defeated Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 in the second round on Thursday and is now one victory from qualifying for the year-end championships for the third year in a row.