Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s Shanghai Masters third-round match between Alexei Popyrin and Grigor Dimitrov, including predictions, head-to-head and their tournament so far.
Alexei Popyrin and Grigor Dimitrov face off in Tuesday’s Shanghai Masters third-round match in their fourth meeting on the ATP Tour.
The Australian is taking half in his deepest run at the tournament and seeks to outdo the experienced player, whose tournament has been beset by extra than one rain delays.
Match preview
© Imago
Popyrin became winless in Shanghai heading into this 365 days’s tournament after failing to assemble the foremost plot in 2019 and exiting to Matteo Arnaldi 365 days relief, but he defeated Miomir Kecmanovic on Saturday to stable a first victory in the Masters 1000 tournament.
Though the 20th seed can also just have double-faulted twice in his 6-3, 6-2 victory over the Russian, he became rewarded for going enormous on support in the triumph as he accumulated 13 aces to his opponent’s four.
While he struggled on 2nd support parts won (43%), Popyrin touchdown 70% of first serves steer clear off a sterner check in the round-two reach across.
With a superior opponent in Dimitrov coming subsequent, the 24-365 days-worn must play even cleaner tennis to cease faraway from round-three elimination.
© Imago
Extra than one rain delays intended the Bulgarian’s tournament-opening match in opposition to Zizou Bergs became no longer competed till Monday, with the ninth seed wanting a decider to claim a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 success in opposition to his Belgian opponent.
It remains to be viewed if Popyrin’s extra days relaxation limits the 33-365 days-worn’s possibilities, and the 2017 quarter-finalist and semi-finalist final 365 days can simplest level of interest on himself sooner than Tuesday’s third-round match.
However, the No. 9 seed must play improved tennis in opposition to the Australian, having landed 60% of his first serves and double-faulted six cases in the round of 64 sooner than coming through in three sets.
His competence at breaking Bergs — changing 5 of seven alternatives mustered — and the Belgian touchdown blows simplest three cases from 12 probabilities doubtless swung the topsy-turvy match, and Dimitrov will wish to play at a superior stage to have any chance of defeating his 24-365 days-worn challenger.
Having lost two consecutive fits in succession in opposition to his third-round opponent, the 2023 semi-finalist targets to snap his dropping recede in Shanghai.
Tournament so far
Alexei Popyrin:
First round: Bye
2d round: vs. Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3 6-2
Grigor Dimitrov:
First round: Bye
2d round: vs. Zizou Bergs 6-3 3-6 6-2
Head To Head
Canadian Originate (2024) – Spherical of 16: Popyrin 4-6 7-6(5) 6-3
US Originate (2021) – 2d round: Popyrin 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 4-0 ret
Melbourne (2021) – Spherical of 16: Dimitrov 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3
Though Dimitrov won their first meeting on tour in 2021, Popyrin’s US Originate triumph that very same 365 days and recently at the Masters 1000 tournament in Canada hit upon him lead 2-1.
All their match-united stateshave been tightly contested, underscored by their first and third encounters going to 3 sets and their simplest Mountainous Slam fight wanting two tiebreaks sooner than the Bulgarian retired in the third.
We scream: Dimitrov to accumulate in three sets
Though their Shanghai match-up can poke both formulation, we are backing Dimitrov to edge the Australian in three sets to advance to the fourth round.
However, that extinguish consequence shall be contingent on the ninth seed returning competently to deal with the Australian’s enormous support and supreme wholesome for the match’s duration.
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