Carlos Alcaraz will be playing on back-to-back days in Shanghai following his second-round win over Jerry Shang. Sunday’s schedule for third-round action also includes a showdown between Tommy Paul and Alejandro Tabilo.
(3) Carlos Alcaraz vs. (WC) Yibing Wu
Alcaraz kicked off his Asian swing with a title at the China Open, where he won another instant classic against Jannik Sinner–this one in a third-set tiebreaker. The second-ranked Spaniard is showing no signs of slowing down at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, where he played on Saturday instead of Friday despite being in the top half of the draw–thus giving him more rest following his Beijing exploits. Alcaraz never let the Chinese crowd get into the match with Chengdu champion Jerry Shang, erasing the youngster 6-2, 6-2.
Up next for Alcaraz on Sunday is Wu, yet another opponent who hails from the host nation. Like Shang, Wu is a massive talent but has simply been unable to stay healthy in the early stages of his career. The 24-year-old had been a mere 0-2 on the main tour in 2024 but is suddenly fit and playing well in Shanghai. He is through to the last 32 thanks to blowout wins over Sumit Nagal and Nicolas Jarry. However, asking Wu to hold up physically for a third time in five days with perhaps the toughest opponent in tennis on the other side of the net is probably way too much.
Pick: Alcaraz in 2
(11) Tommy Paul vs. (19) Alejandro Tabilo
Paul and Tabilo will be going head-to-head for the second time in their careers on Sunday. Their only previous meeting came this summer on the grass courts of Queen’s Club, where Paul cruised 6-3, 6-4 on his eventual way to the title. The 13th-ranked American has not really cooled off much since that triumph, as his 2024 record stands at 40-16 and is keeping him in Nitto ATP Finals contention. Paul opened in Shanghai with a 6-1, 6-3 rout of Fabio Fognini on Friday.
Like his opponent, Tabilo rolled in round two (6-3, 6-2 over Arthur Rinderknech) to continue what has been by far his best year on tour. The Chilean left-hander is up to No. 23 in the world thanks in part to 29 ATP-level match victories this season (more than half of his lifetime total). Unfortunately for Tabilo, he has hit the wall in a huge way coming down the stretch. Prior to arriving in Shanghai he was on an almost hard-to-believe eight-match losing streak. As a result, this one could be even more straightforward than their Queen’s Club contest.
Pick: Paul in 2
WWW?
Wu in 3