Shanghai Masters 2024 Day 2: Men's singles predictions ft. David Goffin vs James Duckworth, Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Terence Atmane
First-round matches will conclude on Day 2 of the Shanghai Masters 2024. Veterans Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini made a winning start on the first day of the tournament. The former beat Damir Dzumhur in straight sets, while the latter overcame compatriot Luciano Darderi in three sets.
Marin Cilic, who won the Hangzhou Open a couple of weeks ago, was shown the door in the first round here by Arthur Cazaux. Reilly Opelka's comeback woes continued with another opening-round exit, this time courtesy of Arthur Rinderknech.
Denis Shapovalov, Zachary Svajda, and Aleksandar Vukic were among the other winners of the day. More players will aim to join them in the second round, and here's a look at the predictions for some of the matches lined up on Day 2 of the Shanghai Masters:
#1 - David Goffin vs James Duckworth
Goffin, a former top-10 staple on the ATP Tour, has struggled over the past couple of years. He has an 11-14 record this season, though more than half of his wins have come in recent weeks. His resurgence started at the Winston-Salem Open, where he won consecutive matches for the first time this year and advanced to the semifinals.
Goffin then reached the third round of the US Open, going down to Tomas Machac. He's a former quarterfinalist at the Shanghai Masters as well. Duckworth, meanwhile, has amassed a 9-11 record for the season. His best results include a couple of quarterfinals at the ATP 250 level.
Duckworth won his previous and only encounter against Goffin at the Miami Open 2021 with ease, and lost only four games in the process. However, he's currently on a three-match losing streak. The Belgian's results, on the other hand, have improved steadily, and as such he will be expected to advance further.
Predicted winner: David Goffin
#2 - Jakub Mensik vs Pedro Martinez
Czech teen Mensik made quite an impression at the start of the season. He pushed ninth seed Hubert Hurkacz to five sets at the Australian Open, though he came up short. He reached his first tour-level final at the Qatar Open in February and lost to Karen Khachanov.
Mensik recently reached the third round of the US Open and crashed out in the first round of the China Open. Martinez has a 17-18 record this year, though his record on hardcourts stands at 3-6. He lost in the first round of the China Open as well and bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Chengdu Open a week before that.
Their first career encounter tilts in Mensik's favor. His 11-7 record on hardcourts gives him an edge over Martinez, and the latter has only beaten players ranked far lower than him on the surface. The teenager should be able to make a winning debut at the Shanghai Masters.
Predicted winner: Jakub Mensik
#3 - Aleksandar Kovacevic vs Terence Atmane
Both players are in dire need of a win heading into the Shanghai Masters. Kovacevic has compiled a 9-19 record this season and has lost his last four matches. Atmane has a 2-6 record this year at the ATP level and extended his losing streak to three matches after a first-round exit from the Chengdu Open.
Atmane commenced his Shanghai Masters campaign with wins over Te Rigele and Adam Walton in the qualifying rounds. This will be his third main draw appearance at the Masters level, and he remains unbeaten in first-round matches.
Atmane reached the second round of the Shanghai Masters last year, and the third round of the Italian Open this year. Kovacevic, meanwhile, has a 1-7 record at the Masters level, with his only win coming at last year's Miami Open. Given their track record, the Frenchman has better odds of coming through this clash.
Predicted winner: Terence Atmane
#4 - Miomir Kecmanovic vs Rinky Hijikata
Kecmanovic reached the fourth round of the Australian Open, and the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open and the Eastbourne International. He also made the third round of the Italian Open and Wimbledon. These five occasions also mark the only time when he has put together back-to-back wins this year. The Serb has a 20-25 record for the season thus far.
Hijikata has progressed to the quarterfinals of five ATP 250 events this season and has put together a 15-21 record. He made a winning debut at last year's Shanghai Masters and advanced to the second round.
Kecmanovc, meanwhile, failed to cross the first hurdle in his two previous appearances at the Shanghai Masters. Hijikata won their only encounter at this year's Los Cabos Open in straight sets. Given his rival's winless record at the venue, it wouldn't be surprising to see the Australian gain the upper hand over him yet again.
Predicted winner: Rinky Hijikata