ATP Shanghai Day 4 predictions, including Sinner vs Daniel

Jannik Sinner is making his second appearance at the ATP Shanghai after losing to Ben Shelton in the fourth round last year. Back then he was close to winning the title in Beijing, but now he comes to the venue having lost one of the season's matches against Carlos Alcaraz. In his opening match he faces Taro Daniel, who defeated Egor Gerasimov on Wednesday. Who do you think will prevail?

ATP Shanghai Day 4 Predictions

Francisco Cerundolo vs. Alexander Shevchenko

Head-to-head: Cerundolo 1-0

Alexander Shevchenko's win/loss record this year isn't great, but he avoided another early exit when he defeated Ramkumar Ramanathan in the opening round here. However, the 23-year-old remains a pretty dangerous opponent on his day, and perhaps he can find something here in the matchup against Francisco Cerundolo. He is usually strong against players who want to assert themselves through his down-to-earth nature and aim for a somewhat one-dimensional, linear pace. Cerundolo is also a lottery on hard courts.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 3

Andrey Rublev vs. Jakub Mensik

Head-to-head: Mensik 1-0

Jakub Mensik scored one of his best wins to date when he defeated Andrey Rublev in Doha earlier this year. He reached his first ATP Tour final later that week, and while the potential is still evident, his season has been somewhat disappointing in recent months. Rublev may have lost the aura of invincibility he had against lower-ranked players, but it still takes a certain level to beat him. Looking at the current style of play, it is Mensik who needs to come up with something special.
Prediction: Rublev in 3

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Jannik Sinner against Taro Daniel

Head-to-head: Sinners 1-0

Jannik Sinner may have a lot of extra-judicial matters to deal with at the moment with the WADA complaint, but he didn't let that get him down in Beijing. An extra day of rest should help him as it's never easy to keep going after a long week. If there are any fatigue issues, it is unlikely to happen in the opening round. That's because Taro can't do much harm to Daniel Sinner and has struggled with his form since reaching the Auckland final in January.
Prediction: Sinners in 2

Main photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports