Taylor Fritz vs Yosuke Watanuki Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Shanghai Masters

Prediction published on 07/10/2024, 06:52  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 07/10/2024 at 07:53 in ATP Shanghai Masters Predictions

Qualifier Yosuke Watanuki has made it to round three of the Shanghai Masters. To make it into the last 16 of this hard court tournament, he has to get past the seventh seed Taylor Fritz. Here's our match prediction.

Watanuki was ranked 336th in the latest list but was a career-high 72nd last October. The 26-year-old made a poor start to the new year with each of his first three matches ending in defeat, two of them on hard courts.

He finally got a win in the Los Cabos hard court event played in February but lost in round two. Injury then caused him not to play again until a Challenger Tour tournament held in Shanghai last month. One match was won but he retired in his second.

Two more defeats have taken place in first qualifying rounds but he's finally found some form in this tournament. Watanuki went a set down in his first qualifier but then dropped only two games in the next couple.

A straight sets win took him into the main draw where he has beaten Pavel Kotov and 32nd seed Brandon Nakashima. He's now 273rd in the live rankings.

Taylor Fritz is the world number seven and beat Watanuki in this tournament last year. That went to three sets and two tie-breaks were played. Fritz can move up to sixth in the live rankings if winning this match and is fifth in the Live Race.

The American reached the final of this year's US Open but had lost three of his last four matches before this tournament. Better form has been found in Shanghai with a win over qualifier Terence Atmane.

That was won in straight sets, both going to a tie-break. We tip Fritz to win this in straight sets, a side bet on a tie-break may well be a winner.