First-round action at the Shanghai Masters gets underway on Wednesday, when qualifier Denis Shapovalov goes up against Lorenzo Sonego. Botic van de Zandschulp and Pablo Carreno Busta are also on the schedule.
Lorenzo Sonego vs. (Q) Denis Shapovalov
Due to injury problems and also inconsistent play, Shapovalov finds himself down at No. 101 in the world and therefore had to qualify at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The Canadian left-hander did so successfully, beating Yu Hsiou Hsu and Sho Shimabukuro–the latter via second-set retirement. Shapovalov is now on a five-match winning streak, by far his longest of the season and one that also features a trio of straight-set victories in Davis Cup competition.
Up next for the 25-year-old in Shanghai on Wednesday is a third meeting with Sonego. They have split their two previous encounters; Shapovalov prevailed 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3 at the 2022 Rome Masters before Sonego got the job done 7-6(4), 6-7(5), 6-4 at the 2022 Davis Cup Finals. Sonego registers at a decent 50th in the rankings, but he is 0-2 since lifting the trophy in Winston-Salem. With a pair of wins already under his belt at this tournament, Shapovalov should have the edge in this one.
Pick: Shapovalov in 3
(PR) Pablo Carreno Busta vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
Van de Zandschulp and Carreno Busta will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Wednesday. Their only previous contest came two years ago on the red clay of Madrid, where Van de Zandschulp scored a 6-7(6), 7-6(1), 6-3 victory.
It has been a tale of two different trajectories since that point in time. Carreno Busta has been incredibly solid when he is on the court but hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Van de Zandschulp seemingly plays every single week every single year, but he has been all over the place on the court. The 67th-ranked Dutchman upset Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open last month, for example, for has otherwise been horrendous in 2024. Unfortunately for Van de Zandschulp, Carreno Busta is finally healthy and playing well. Recent results for the 33-year-old Spaniard include a third-round showing at the Cincinnati Masters and a semifinal finish in Winston-Salem. Carreno Busta is the more reliable and consistent of the two players, so look for him to advance.
Pick: Carreno Busta in 2
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