Three third round picks from Shanghai today, and honestly all three are closer than you might think going in. Let's get into it.
Shanghai Masters Predictions
Tommy Paul vs Valentin Vacherot
Head-to-head: First meeting
Paul's had a solid year and is a comfortable hardcourt player, but Vacherot has been moving well this week and the ranking gap isn't big enough to just assume Paul coasts through. First meetings on hard can go either way and Vacherot isn't the kind of opponent you can afford to take lightly.
That said, Paul's ball-striking off both wings is a level above what Vacherot can consistently handle, and I think the American finds his range after dropping a set. Paul in three feels right here.
Prediction: Paul in 3
Jiri Lehecka vs Rafael Jodar
Head-to-head: Lehecka 0-1 Jodar
Lehecka is a dangerous player on a good day, and he's capable of going through anyone when he's serving big and dictating with the forehand. But Jodar leads their head-to-head, and the Czech hasn't been the most consistent presence on tour this year. There's a version of this match where Lehecka runs away with it, but there's also a version where he goes cold in the second and never recovers.
Jodar in three. He's shown enough this week to back him here, all things considered.
Prediction: Jodar in 3
Learner Tien vs Casper Ruud
Head-to-head: First meeting
This is the most interesting one on paper. Ruud is a proven top-10 player and a Grand Slam finalist, but hard courts in Asia, where he has historically struggled to replicate his clay-court form, aren't exactly where he's built his reputation, and Tien has looked sharp in the early rounds. The young American hits the ball hard and flat and doesn't give Ruud the kind of high, loopy baseline exchanges he thrives on.
I feel like the conditions here actually hurt Ruud more than the ranking suggests, and Tien's aggression will be the difference in a tight three-setter.
Prediction: Tien in 3
For full predictions on ATP and WTA matches today, check out Uppset.
Credit Image: © Rodrigo Reyes Marin/ZUMA Press Wire