Two solid matches are part of the docket for Friday at the Shanghai Masters, with Matteo Berrettini taking on Brandon Nakashima and Alexander Bublik doing battle with Tomas Machac.
(16) Brandon Nakashima vs. Matteo Berrettini
Brandon Nakashima starts his week at the Rolex Shanghai Masters following a first-round bye, and he has had a fine season. Nakashima is up to No. 18 in the rankings with a 33-19 record, and his run to the Cincinnati semifinals in August showed what he can do on a hard court. Things have been quieter in the past month, however. He lost to Alex Michelsen in the second round of the U.S. Open and went out to Ugo Humbert in his opener in Tokyo. The bye means no match play on these courts yet.
Matteo Berrettini already has a match under his belt. He dropped the first set to Aleksandar Kovacevic and then took over, winning 6-7(3), 6-1, 6-4. For a while now, the Italian has been winning one round and losing the next — which he did in Cincinnati, New York, and Tokyo. The pair have met only once — at the 2022 Australian Open, where Berrettini won in four sets. That was a relatively long time ago and a best-of-five match, so it’s probably not any kind of indicator. Berrettini’s serve will win him some cheap points, so expect him to take a set. However, Nakashima is the steadier player these days and should find a way in a decider.
Cheryl pick: Nakashima in 3
Ricky pick: Berrettini in 3
(19) Alexander Bublik vs. Tomas Machac
Tomas Machac needed a comeback to get here. Wild card Zhizhen Zhang blitzed him 6-1 in the opening set before the Czech steadied himself and won 1-6, 7-6(3), 6-2. That win should help Machac’s confidence, because he has endured a rough year. He has slipped to No. 75 in the world after sitting in the low 30s a year ago. Machac is 15-15 on the season and had lost three straight before Shanghai, including first-round exits at the U.S. Open and in Beijing.
Bublik has not exactly been on a hot streak, either. He lost a five-setter to Tommy Paul at the U.S. Open and then dropped matches to Rafael Jodar at the Laver Cup and Jakub Mensik in Beijing. Still, this is a matchup he likes. Bublik is 2-0 against Machac with wins in Dubai in 2024 and on the grass in Halle last year. Bublik served through Machac both times. Machac’s game is built on rhythm and consistency, and Bublik doesn’t give opponents much of either. If the No. 19 seed is in a decent mood, he should serve his way into round three without too much drama.
Cheryl pick: Bublik in 2
Ricky pick: Bublik in 2
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I don’t know who will win either of these but you mentioned Zhang. I think it would be very snazzy if he at least occasionally played doubles with Zheng. “Zhang and Zheng, Wimbledon doubles champions” has a real ring to it.
Machac is brilliant on a good day but there have been fewer of those this year.