Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Shanghai Masters match.
Pavel Kotov (63) can consider his previous tournament in Beijing a success, where he reached the round of 16. Next up is the Masters in Shanghai, where the Russian tennis player has a good chance to improve on his past performance and earn ranking points.
Pavel Kotov
Last year, Kotov faced Arthur Fils in the first round, against whom he had no chance (1:6, 4:6). This time, his opponent is much more manageable, and Kotov himself is in better form. In Beijing, the Russian won three matches in a row for the first time since the tournament in Morocco, which took place in early April.
Yosuke Watanuki
Yosuke Watanuki (337) missed almost the entire season due to injury, which significantly affected his ranking. The last time the Japanese player competed in the main draw of a singles tournament was in January at the Australian Open. There, he lost in the first round to Miomir Kecmanović, so Watanuki has yet to secure a tour-level win this season.
Pavel Kotov vs Yosuke Watanuki Prediction
Watanuki successfully navigated the qualifiers, but his opponents cannot be compared to Kotov: Otto Virtanen (110) and Soonwoo Kwon (141). In the month since his return, this is the first time Watanuki has managed two consecutive wins. It's too little to consider him a contender in this match-up.