Roberto Carballes Baena vs Juncheng Shang Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP US Open

Prediction published on 27/08/2024, 08:55  by Steve Ashfield in ATP US Open Predictions

After beating the 27th seed on Monday, Juncheng Shang takes on Roberto Carballes Baena in round two of the US Open. Neither player has reached round three of this hard court Grand Slam. Read our match prediction.

Shang is up to 67th in the live rankings after his first round win. That's only three places below his Spanish opponent. This is the first time he's played in the main draw of this tournament after losing in the final qualifying round last year.

He looked back to full fitness when beating Bublik and needed to be. He trailed two sets to one before fighting back to win 6-4 in the fifth. Shang has been in good form on hard courts recently reaching the last four in Atlanta.

It's the second successive week in which he's beaten a seeded player. Last week in Winston Salem, he beat Mariano Navone (seeded seventh) but then withdrew from the tournament due to injury.

Roberto Carballes Baena also had to go to a final set in his first round match. He didn't expect to after taking the first two sets against qualifier Jan Choinski. The Brit pulled the match back level but Baena recovered to win the decider 6-3.

Baena is now 64th in the live rankings and in the second round of the US Open for the fifth year in a row. He's never got past round two in this tournament. If he does this year, the next opponent will be either Casper Ruud or Gael Monfils.

He had lost his last three matches before beating Choinski on Monday. This year has seen him get to the last eight of a hard court tournament in Auckland but he's more at home on clay courts.

We go for over 3.5 sets to be played in this match.