Third round action begins on Day 5 of the Shanghai Masters, and some of the biggest names headline the day. This article features #5 seed Taylor Fritz, who has a tricky matchup against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but who will advance?
ATP Shanghai Day 5 Predictions
Yoshihito Nishioka vs Jaume Munar
Head-to-Head: Nishioka 1-1 Munar
Yoshihito Nishioka got the biggest win of his season as he upset former finalist Andrey Rublev after losing the first set. He played a great match as everything clicked for him. It has been extremely tough for the Japanese to win matches, but this should give him a lot of confidence. Jaume Munar continues to have a stellar hard-court season as he demolished Flavio Cobolli in the second round. This should be a fun matchup between these two, and I expect a close match.
Prediction: Munar in 3
Tomas Machac vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-Head: first meeting
There aren’t many players who can stay with Tomas Machac when he is feeling the ball, and Mattia Bellucci had no chance in the second round. Machac’s level was extremely high, and he will look to maintain that for the rest of the tournament. Valentin Vacherot upset the in-form Alexander Bublik in a high-quality match. Both players put up a great fight, but Vacherot was more consistent and held his nerve well towards the end. He served at a high percentage and will need the same to challenge Machac.
Prediction: Machac in 3
Holger Rune vs Ugo Humbert
Head-to-Head: Rune 4-0 Humbert
Holger Rune is off to a good start as he defeated a very good Sebastian Baez in the second round. Rune looked dialled in from the get-go and played a solid match. Ugo Humbert ended his three-match losing streak with a much-needed win against Jordan Thompson in the second round. Humbert served well, which proved to be the difference in the match. However, he has only won one set in four meetings against Rune, which gives me little faith in his chances here.
Prediction: Rune in 3
Taylor Fritz vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Head-to-Head: Fritz 1-0 Perricard
Taylor Fritz survived a thriller against Fabian Marozsan in the second round and must be relieved that he is still in the tournament. He faces another tough battle in Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who had a two-set lead against the American the previous time they met. However, that match was played at Wimbledon, which has faster courts. The courts are playing a lot slower this year at the Shanghai Masters, giving Fritz enough time to put more balls in return and put pressure.
Prediction: Fritz in 2
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
