ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai 1/64-Finals
Cilic – Cazaux: 02.10.2024 08:00 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Marin Cilic has won four of his last five matches. After winning the title in Hangzhou as the lowest-ever ranked player to win the ATP title, Marin decided to play in Tokyo. He looked exhausted in his opening round match against Nishikori. Kei won that match in three tight sets. However, Marin is fully confident yet again, and looks like he is playing pain-free. The former US Open champion showed glimpses of his best form. However, he barely played in 2023, so he still needs time to get back to the best level of competitive tennis.
Arthur Cazaux has won three of his last five matches. Last week in Thailand, Cazaux played the challenger tournament where he lost in the quarterfinals against McCabe in three tight sets. Arthur had an excellent start to the season, but due to fitness problems, Cazaux lost his confidence and ranking. Right now, Arthur is looking to get back to the winning runs, to keep his top 100 status. He will make his debut in the Asian Swing tomorrow, as well as in the main-draw of a Masters tournament.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Cilic is the slight favorite in this matchup. He is coming into this match fully confident after winning the title in Hangzhou. On the other hand, Cazaux has been struggling with his tennis for the last couple of months now. We believe that Cilic will win this match easily.
That being said, Cilic winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Marin Cilic winning @1.62 @bet365
Monfils – Dzumhur: 02.10.2024 08:00 CEST
H2H: 2-1
Gaël Monfils has lost three of his last five matches. The last match he played was last week in Beijing, where he lost against Medvedev in straight sets as we predicted. Gael is on the verge of dropping outside the top 50 in the rankings, so he is hoping for a solid result this week in Tokyo. Last year around this time, Gael played in Stockholm, where he won the tournament, winning against Kotov in the final.
Damir Dzumhur has lost three of his last five matches. Damir is back in the top 100 in the rankings. Last week in Tokyo, Damir failed to qualify for the main-draw tournament, losing against Coric in straight sets. So far this season, Dzumhur has spent most of his time playing at the challenger tour level, where he has lifted five titles already. Four of them came off the clay courts. His most recent one was in Istanbul on the hard court. Damir is a proven player who still has a couple of years left. He needs to start winning at the highest level, so he can keep playing ATP main-draw tournaments.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Dzumhur is the big underdog in this matchup, and we can not agree with that. Damir is in solid form, and he loves to play under these conditions. Monfils is 38 years old, and he is far away from his best form. We believe that Dzumhur will keep this match tight.
That being said, Dzumhur covering the games handicap is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Damir Dzumhur +4.5 games handicap @1.73 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
