Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Shanghai match.
Despite both Spanish players being over 30, they only met for the first time this winter in Auckland, where the younger Roberto Carballes Baena emerged victorious (6:4, 6:3). How will their encounter unfold at the Shanghai Masters?
Roberto Bautista Agut
Bautista Agut is already 36 years old, having only broken into the ATP Tour at the age of 24. His win-loss record doesn't show a significant positive difference but hovers around 50%. In 2024, Bautista Agut has mostly failed to progress beyond the second round. At the ongoing China Open, he lost in the second round to Jiri Lehecka (6:3, 2:6, 1:6). In this season's Masters events, his best result is the round of 16 in Monte Carlo.
Roberto Carballes Baena
Carballes Baena has also achieved a 50% win rate this season, and his current world ranking of 54 is almost the best he has ever reached. The younger Roberto played in Beijing last week, exiting in the first round after a three-set battle against Andrey Rublev (0:6, 6:4, 4:6). In the Masters series, his best result is reaching the second round, which he achieved in four of five tournaments, except for the Canadian Masters in Montreal, where he didn't make it through qualifying.
Roberto Bautista Agut vs Roberto Carballes Baena Prediction
Carballes Baena has youth on his side, but Bautista Agut boasts tremendous experience. Both players have stayed injury-free recently. Bookmakers consider Bautista Agut the favourite, offering half the returns on his win. However, this will not be an easy game for him. In fact, Bautista Agut's last 10 matches have featured more than 28 games. A third set is very possible, so we suggest betting on the total over 20.5.
