
Day 6 at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai will feature the third round of the top half of the draw. With the withdrawal of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner’s loss to Tallon Griekspoor, the draw is wide open right now with no clear title favorite, and everyone will be trying their hardest to pounce on this situation, leading to some great tennis going forward.
Head-to-head: Musetti 2-0 Darderi
Musetti has established himself as a clear #2 Italian and has the very clear edge in this all-Italian matchup. Darderi is a very dangerous opponent on clay, but on a hard court he hasn’t had much success and seems unlikely to trouble Musetti here.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
Head-to-head: De Minaur 1-0 Majchrzak
As much as Majchrzak has improved this year, de Minaur is one of the most consistent players on Tour–and with Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner out of Shanghai, he will certainly be smelling blood and dreaming of his first ever Masters 1000 title. It is highly unlikely that Majchrzak can produce the kind of level that would be needed to beat him.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Head-to-head: first meeting
Borges might be far higher ranked, but that’s a lot due to Shang’s injury issues that have sidelined him for most of the year. As he showed during yesterday’s fantastic win over Karen Khachanov, Shang has the potential to be at least aTtop 20 player and he might well beat Borges in front of a home crowd.
Prediction: Shang in 3
Head-to-head: Shapovalov 1-1 Lehecka
Shapovalov has clawed back up the rankings significantly in the past year, but his performances in big tournaments have nonetheless been quite disappointing. This will be another opportunity to change against another player in Lehecka, who has shown flashes of brilliance but not the consistency required to become a top player. It is a very tough match to call, one that could genuinely go either way.
Prediction: Shapovalov in 3
More must-reads:
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!