Shanghai Masters 2023: Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin
Tournament: Shanghai Masters 2023
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, China
Category: ATP 1000
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin preview
After a first-round bye, Daniil Medvedev will commence his title defense at the 2023 Shanghai Masters against Cristian Garin in the second round.
After an early exit from the Australian Open, Medvedev went on a tear as he captured three titles on the trot. His unbeaten run came to an end in the final of the Indian Wells Masters against Carlos Alcaraz. The Russian then rebounded by claiming the Miami Open title.
This year's clay swing was the most fruitful of Medvedev's career as he claimed the biggest title on the surface by winning the Italian Open. However, he crashed out in the first round of the French Open. The 27-year-old fared better at Wimbledon, where he lost to eventual champion Alcaraz in the semifinals.
After a less-than-ideal lead-up to the US Open, he reached the final at the season's last Major. He faced Novak Djokovic in the title round but came up short this time. He returned to action at the China Open after that and went down to Jannik Sinner in the final.
Garin faced qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic in his opener here. A single break of serve in the Chilean's favor helped him secure the first set. While the duo traded service breaks once in the second set, they remained solid on serve otherwise.
The set went into a tie-break, with Garin initially wasting a couple of match points. He then saved a set point but blew another three match points after that. He finally got the job done on his sixth match point to win 6-4, 7-6 (10).
Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin head-to-head
Medvedev leads Garin 2-1 in the head-to-head. The Russian won his previous encounter at the 2021 French Open in straight sets.
Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Daniil Medvedev vs Cristian Garin prediction
Medvedev enjoyed a pretty good week in Beijing, but a first-ever defeat to Sinner in the final would've left him wanting for more. As the defending champion in Shanghai, he'll be aiming to get off to a good start.
Garin kicked off his campaign here with a tough win over Kovacevic. It has been a rather tough season for him, and his ranking has taken a huge hit. He even fell in the qualifying rounds of the US Open.
Hardcourts aren't Garin's preferred surface either, and on top of it, he'll be facing a player who's quite partial to it. With a 42-7 record on hardcourts this year, the Russian has enjoyed considerable success on the surface.
With Garin being far from his best and Medvedev being in pretty good form, the latter will be expected to kick off his title defense on a winning note.
Pick: Daniil Medvedev to win in straight sets.