Though the start of the main draw at the Shanghai Masters is still a couple of days away, there is reason for tennis fans to pay attention to the action in China’s second city with the qualifying set to get underway. A number of well-established touring professionals will be amongst those in action and for the first time we here at LWOT are offering predictions for a selection of the qualifying bouts. But who will move onto the second and final round?
Shanghai Masters Qualifying Day One Predictions
Marco Cecchinato vs Sun Fajing
Head-to-head: first meeting
After a reasonably impressive start to the year, Italy’s Marco Cecchinato has seen his 2019 campaign founder badly since losing to Nicolas Mahut from two sets to the good in the first round at the French Open. His only victory on the main tour since came via Alexander Bublik’s retirement in the first round in Winston-Salem. But though he now finds himself outside the top 60, his career-high ranking of world #16 should not be overlooked. World #381 Sun Fajing, meanwhile, has very little experience of tennis at this level. Thus, whilst Cecchinato may be something of a wounded animal, he should still have enough to win this match.
Prediction: Cecchinato in 3
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Pablo Carreno Busta vs Wu Di
Head-to-head: first meeting
World #39 Pablo Carreno Busta may consider himself slightly hard done by to have ended up in the qualifying rather than the main draw. But his recent surge up the rankings came to late to afford direct entry into the Shanghai Masters proper. Nonetheless, he will surely be full of confidence after a fine run of form in recent months, highlighted by a run to the title at the Chengdu Open. Wu Di, in contrast, despite some good results at Challenger-level, has had little joy on the main tour. He is not without qualities, but up against a player of the Spaniard’s ability, it is hard to see him offering much resistance.
Prediction: Carreno Busta in 2
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Marcel Granollers vs Alexei Popyrin
Head-to-head: Popyrin 2-1 Granollers
This should be an entertaining clash between a wily veteran in Marcel Granollers and a rising young star in Alexei Popyrin. The Australian Popyrin has had an excellent year in qualifying draws, nine times reaching the main draw at tour-level events as a qualifier, including in Indian Wells and Miami. He has also beaten Granollers fairly handily in both their previous hard-court meetings, which will surely give him real confidence heading into this clash. Popyrin has formidable power and if he can rein it in with enough accuracy, he should be able to hit through the Spaniard, who has lost a step in recent years.
Prediction: Popyrin in 2
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Adrian Mannarino vs Vasek Pospisil
Head-to-head: Pospisil 1-0 Mannarino
Adrian Mannarino is another player whose ranking, the Frenchman is the world #43, would suggest he is out of place in the qualifying draw. Particularly as he has made a good start to the Asian swing after reaching the final in Zhuhai, although he did lose first round in Tokyo. Vasek Pospisil, meanwhile, has become better known for his campaigning on prize money than his on-court achievements, which have been lacking of late, in large part due to a succession of injuries. He is, however, a fine player, as he demonstrated by upsetting Karen Khachanov in the first round at the US Open. But he can struggle to compete physically and, despite having beaten Mannarino in the Shanghai Masters qualifying in 2016, he seems likely to be in danger of being worn down by the Frenchman three years later.
Prediction: Mannarino in 3
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