The second round of the ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters rolls on as World No. 2 Jannik Sinner begins his bid to defend his title from last year. Whenever the Italian plays, the spotlight is usually on him, but even so, there are plenty of other quality matchups across the board, featuring top players, crowd favorites, and intriguing contests. As always, here at LWOT, we’ll be giving our predictions for each of them.
Jesper de Jong vs Jakub Mensik
head-to-head: First meeting
Mensik was another player forced to retire mid-match last week due to a knee issue. Up against De Jong, who can produce patches of solid, aggressive tennis, he’ll need to be sharp. Shanghai is playing a bit slower this year compared to previous editions, which could slightly mute Mensik’s big-serve advantage. Even so, his overall level should still be higher than the Dutchman’s, giving him the edge to prevail here.
Prediction: Mensik in 3
Arthur Cazaux vs Cameron Norrie
head-to-head: First meeting
Having hovered around the edge of the Top 100 not long ago, Norrie has done well to rediscover some of his mojo and climb back into the Top 35. Against Cazaux, the Brit clearly holds the consistency advantage, though the Frenchman will have his chances with his heavier groundstroke firepower. Still, on a slower court and with the humidity high, it seems very possible that Norrie simply grinds out a win here.
Prediction: Norrie in 3
Daniel Altmaier vs Jannik Sinner
head-to-head: Altmaier 1-1 Sinner
He may no longer be World No. 1, but Sinner showed in Beijing that against anyone not named Carlos Alcaraz, he still looks nearly invincible. Altmaier has troubled the Italian in the past with his heavy topspin backhand, but this is a different version of Sinner, one who should come through this match relatively comfortably on the back of his base level.
Prediction: Sinner in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images
