Day 4 of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Shanghai will see the debut of more seeds, with the top half seeds making their debut. Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal following his title win in Tokyo has certainly blown this half of the draw wide open, with many players having good chances to reach the final if they have a good fortnight. It remains to be seen who will take advantage of the situation here and tomorrow’s performances might help us find out who is most primed to strike.
ATP Shanghai Day 3 Predictions
Luciano Darderi vs Yunchaokete Bu
Head-to-head: Darderi 1-0 Bu
Darderi might be the far higher ranked player and have won when the pair faced in Rome earlier this year, but it’s results on clay that have got him to where he is now. On a hard court, and especially playing in China, this is a very even matchup and Bu has an excellent chance to advance here, even if it should be a very close match.
Prediction: Bu in 3
Corentin Moutet vs Learner Tien
Head-to-head: Moutet 1-1 Tien
Moutet took over Alcaraz’s #1 seed spot in the draw but he wasn’t really all that lucky with his first round opponent; Tien is fresh off the biggest week of his career so far, having reached his first ever ATP final in Beijing, beating several higher ranked players on the way to a final defeat against Jannik Sinner. If he can maintain that level, he can make another good run here, but it’s equally likely that he has a bit of a letdown after such a breakthrough week.
Prediction: Moutet in 3
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Camilo Ugo Carabelli vs Alex de Minaur
Head-to-head: first meeting
De Minaur is perhaps the player who will be the happiest about Carlos Alcaraz’s withdrawal; while he struggles to beat the top players due to his lack of big weapons, his amazing consistency allows him to go deep in tournaments often and he might just fancy his chances of making it to the final this fortnight. Carabelli on a hard court is one of the best draws De Minaur could possibly get at this stage and it would be a significant surprise if the Aussie didn’t make it through here.
Prediction: De Minaur in 2
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey-USA TODAY Sports
