Day 3 at the ATP Shanghai Masters looks to be a good one, with multiple top seeds beginning their campaigns in the second round. The golden stop of the Asian Swing, this tournament is critical for players looking to make a push to qualify for the ATP Finals. But who will advance?
ATP Shanghai Day 3 Predictions
Sebastian Baez vs Dane Sweeny
Head-to-head: First meeting
Dane Sweeny is surely a name to remember in the future, as the young Australian claimed a surprising 6-2 6-3 victory over Taro Daniel to notch his first-ever ATP win. Daniel played some uncharacteristic tennis in that match, however, and Sweeny now has to go up against the rock-solid Sebastian Baez. Baez lost surprisingly in his opening-round match in Astana, but this should be a good chance for the Argentinian to rebuild some confidence. He’ll have to play consistent tennis right from the start, as Sweeny will surely have nothing to lose in this matchup and will come out firing.
Prediction: Baez in 2
Hsu Yu-hsiou vs Lorenzo Musetti
Head-to-head: First meeting
Hsu continues to make a rapid climb in the tennis world this fall; after winning his first-ever Grand Slam match at the 2023 US Open, he recorded his first Masters 1000 win on Tuesday in his debut event. While his 6-4 in the third battle over Max Purcell was no easy task, Lorenzo Musetti is a big step up for the 24-year-old. Mussetti suffered a shock loss in the first round of the US Open, and could certainly use a big result to regain his spot in the Top 15. Keep an eye out for Musetti’s backhand, a shot that let him down in his recent tournaments.
Prediction: Mussetti in 2
Fabian Marozsan vs Alex De Minaur
Head-to-head: First meeting
Alex De Minaur’s rise to the top seems to keep getting better this season. He’s been a bit unfortunate with his draws as of late, having to run through Daniil Medvedev in just the second round in Beijing. Yet, with the non-hard court specialist Casper Ruud and injury-wary Holger Rune in his quarter, this is a good draw for the Aussie. De Minaur’s groundstrokes have noticeably improved, and he’s served with more angle and spin to win easy points. Against Marozsan, a young player looking to capitalize after his stunning Rome tournament in May, De Minaur will have to simply play consistent tennis and force errors. ATP Shanghai provides De Minaur a big opportunity to potentially reach the Top-10 for the first time in his career.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Casper Ruud vs Yoshihito Nishioka
Head-to-head: 1-1
This is an intriguing opening match for Ruud this tournament, as Nishioka thrives playing on Asian hard-courts. In fact, this matchup occurred in Seoul last fall, with Nishioka claiming a surprising three-set victory. Nishioka also has the benefit of already playing through a taxing battle, winning 7-6 in the third against Daniel Altmaier. Ruud will know to expect textbook returning from the Japanese star, with Nishioka well able to read serves and capitalize on opportunities. While Ruud arguably isn’t playing at a top 5 caliber, he still brings solid, topspin-based tennis to the courts. Notably, his last match against a lefty was a shocking five-set defeat at Wimbledon to Liam Broady, perhaps leaving some residual when this matchup takes place. The match could go either way, but I give the edge to Ruud just with his strategy and consistency on the court.
Prediction: Ruud in 3
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane – USA TODAY Sports
