Juncheng Shang vs Alexander Bublik Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP US Open

Prediction published on 25/08/2024, 13:07  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 25/08/2024 at 13:27 in ATP US Open Predictions

Unseeded Juncheng Shang looks a good bet to beat 27th seed Alexander Bublik in the US Open first round. The winner will play either Roberto Carballes Baena or Jan Choinski in round two. Here's our hard court match prediction.

Shang is the lower ranked of these two players at 72nd in the live rankings, 45 places below Bublik. He beat seventh seed Mariano Navone in Winston Salem last week but then pulled out of his third round match with an injury.

He's fit again now and will want to build on his recent run to the semi-final in the Washington hard court tournament. He won five matches that week, including beating Ben Shelton. That was his second hard court semi-final of 2024.

Alexander Bublik is the seeded player but lost in the first round of this tournament last year. His best performance in New York was a third round appearance five years ago. He won his only previous match against Shang.

That was at Indian Wells this year and Bublik won in straight sets, losing only five games. His current form is not at that level though. He comes into this tournament having lost each of his last three matches.

All three of those losses were in straight sets, most recently in Montreal to Ben Shelton, who Shang has a recent win over. His last three matches on hard courts have also been lost. We tip Shang to win this.