Following first-round byes, Hubert Hurkacz and Felix Auger-Aliassime will kick off their Shanghai Masters campaigns on Friday. They may not have easy opening matchups on their hands with Thanasi Kokkinakis and Marton Fucsovics, respectively.
(16) Hubert Hurkacz vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
Perhaps only the most serious tennis fans would have noticed, but Hurkacz vs. Kokkinakis has quietly become one of the most entertaining 2023 rivalries. They have faced each other only twice heading into second-round action at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday, but to say that both encounters were memorable would be an understatement. Hurkacz prevailed 6-7(10, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) at the Miami Masters and 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-6(1) at the Cincinnati Masters–each one also coming in the second round. Kokkinakis has at least managed to defeat Hurkacz once, as the Aussie won their first-ever meeting 6-2, 7-6(6) in 2018 Atlanta qualifying.
Hurkacz has not yet played on the Asian swing this fall and he hasn’t won a match since round one of the U.S. Open (lost to Jack Draper in the second round and dropped his only Laver Cup match against Frances Tiafoe). Kokkinakis played well in Davis Cup competition last month, beating Switzerland’s Dominic Stricker before losing to Draper in a third-set tiebreaker. The world No. 69 opened in Shanghai on Wednesday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Fabio Fognini, so he has a match under his belt and is used to the conditions. This is a great opportunity for Kokkinakis to get over the hump against Hurkacz and avenge his two recent heartbreakers.
Pick: Kokkinakis in 3
(14) Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Marton Fucsovics
Interestingly, Auger-Aliassime and Fucsovics will also be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers and their two most recent encounters also came at the Masters 1000 tournaments in Miami and Cincinnati. Fucsovics won their first meeting 1-6, 6-0, 7-5 on the indoor hard courts of Vienna in 2018, but Auger-Aliassime got the job done 6-4, 4-6, 6-0 one season later in Miami and 7-6(0), 6-3 two years ago in Cincinnati.
Fucsovics should have a good chance to turn the tide back in his favor. The 57th-ranked Hungarian is a solid 19-17 on the main tour in 2023 after easing past Denis Yevseyev 6-4, 6-2 in his Shanghai opener. Of course, Fucsovic’s chances have a lot more to do with Auger-Aliassime than they do with himself. The 23-year-old Canadian has been a disaster dating back to April, with just three wins in his last 13 matches. Outside of the Laver Cup, he has not won a match since the Cincinnati first round and lost right away in Beijing last week to Holger Rune (6-4, 6-4). Sound the upset alert.
Pick: Fucsovics in 3
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Hubie in 3′ Fvitz in 2.