Birthday boy and US Open finalist Ben Shelton advances at the Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI (AP) — U.S. Open runner-up Ben Shelton celebrated his 24th birthday Friday by advancing to the third round of the Shanghai Masters with a 6-3, 7-6 (6) win over Daniel Altmaier in the ATP 1000-level tournament.Shelton played Davis Cup for the United States after the U.S. Open, losing both his singles matches, after withdrawing from the Laver Cup team event.Top-seeded Alexander Zverev, who beat Shelton in the final in four sets at Flushing Meadows, was scheduled to play Chinese wild-card entry Wu Yibing in the next match on the main Stadium Court at Shanghai.Novak Djokovic, who won the China Open on Tuesday for a 102nd career title, was scheduled to play a night match Friday against Hubert Hurkacz.In other early results Friday in Shanghai, ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur advanced to the third round on a walkover when his opponent, Alex Molcan, retired with an undisclosed ailment. De Minaur had to retire with an adductor injury in the China Open final against Djokovic.Also Friday, qu