The Polish eighth seed produced a dominant serving display on Thursday to secure victory and advance to the next stage of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Hurkacz dominates with his serve
Hurkacz immediately put pressure on Duckworth with his powerful first serve and consistently found free points behind it.
The Pole took the opening set 6-3, before maintaining his composure in the second-set tie-break to complete the victory 7-6(4).
His 19 aces proved particularly decisive as he avoided being drawn into a prolonged three-set battle against the Australian.
Djokovic awaits in the second round
Hurkacz's reward is a blockbuster meeting with four-time Shanghai champion Novak Djokovic, who entered the tournament after winning his seventh China Open title in Beijing.
The Serbian had a first-round bye and will now face Hurkacz in what promises to be one of the most anticipated second-round matches in Shanghai.
The pair have previously met on several occasions, including a memorable encounter at the 2023 Wimbledon semi-finals, where Djokovic prevailed in four sets.
Hurkacz returns to Shanghai after three years
The victory was particularly significant for Hurkacz because it marked his first appearance in Shanghai since winning the tournament in 2023.
Three years ago, the Polish star saved a match point before defeating Andrey Rublev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(8) in the final to claim his second ATP Masters 1000 title.
Hurkacz subsequently missed the last two editions because of injury, including a serious right-knee problem that required surgery in 2025.
Strong Asian swing continues
The 29-year-old arrived in Shanghai in encouraging form after reaching the final in Chengdu and the semi-finals in Beijing during the Asian hard-court swing.
He was forced to retire against Alex de Minaur in Beijing because of injury, but subsequently declared himself fit to compete in Shanghai.
His victory over Duckworth suggests that Hurkacz has successfully recovered and remains a serious threat at the tournament.
A major test against Djokovic
The Djokovic clash will provide a much tougher examination of Hurkacz's current form.
Hurkacz's serve will be one of the major weapons in the contest, while Djokovic will bring his experience of winning four Shanghai Masters titles and his exceptional record at the tournament.
For Hurkacz, however, his opening victory has already delivered an important statement: the 2023 champion is back in Shanghai, and Djokovic is next.