Juncheng Shang won his maiden ATP Tour title in Chengdu about twelve months ago, before losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the second round in Shanghai. The youngster seemed to be heading towards the top back then, but is struggling now with a foot injury taking him out for six months this season. Can one of the home crowd favorites get off to a good start in this tournament against Aleksandar Kovacevic? Who do you think will advance? We have predictions for all of the ATP Shanghai matches.
ATP Shanghai Day 2 Predictions
Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Terence Atmane
Head-to-head: First meeting
Terence Atmane has some real firepower under his belt and while for the longest time the all-or-nothing approach wasn’t allowing him to make a jump, it’s possible that with the Cincinnati points he’ll now hold up pretty well on the main tour, even in the long term. Last week he took a set off eventual champion Jannik Sinner in Beijing, which is no mean feat right now. Even with the inconsistencies of his approach to the game, Camilo Ugo Carabelli on hard courts shouldn’t be a dangerous opponent.
Prediction: Atmane in 2
Arthur Cazaux vs Pedro Martinez
Head-to-head: Cazaux 1-0
The 16-28 win/loss record for the season sounds rough and it’s a good representation of how Pedro Martinez has been playing this year. On top of that, the Spaniard has been struggling with his fitness and couldn’t complete a match in his most recent event two weeks ago. He can be a dangerous hard-court opponent and you can’t just write him off entirely, but given the circumstances, Arthur Cazaux will be feeling like he has to take the win here. If he handles that pressure, he should be okay.
Prediction: Cazaux in 3
Yi Zhou vs Jesper de Jong
Head-to-head: First meeting
Yi Zhou’s time will come and you can see his potential every year in the Asian Swing. While not setting the world on fire otherwise, the Chinese always troubles quality opponents during this part of the season. Nothing has changed this year with a win over Cameron Norrie in Chengdu and then a match point he held against David Goffin in Beijing. Jesper de Jong has to be wary of Zhou’s big serve and attacking game, on a faster hard court it’s possible the Chinese will put him under enough pressure off the ground.
Prediction: Zhou in 3
Valentin Royer vs Mariano Navone
Head-to-head: First meeting
Valentin Royer reached the final in Hangzhou about a week ago and made the smart call of taking some rest instead of competing at the Challenger in Jinan like he originally wanted to. The breakthrough season of the Frenchman continues and it’s a relatively pleasant draw in Shanghai as well. While Mariano Navone has surprised some away from the dirt before, he’s still predominantly a clay-court player and someone with so much confidence should be capitalizing on this opportunity.
Prediction: Royer in 2
Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Juncheng Shang
Head-to-head: Shang 1-0
Juncheng Shang is still trying to recover from the foot issue that bothered him this year. After spending six months away from the court, the Chinese finally won a match in Chengdu before losing to cramps and Arthur Cazaux in Beijing last week. Fitness is still very much under a question mark, but he’s not without a chance in his Shanghai opener. Faster conditions suit him more than Aleksandar Kovacevic and it’s really mostly about his body holding up.
Prediction: Shang in 3
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
