Back in action after a disappointing start to the Asian swing, Taylor Fritz aims to avoid an upset in Saturday's Shanghai Masters second-round match with Terence Atmane.
The American No. 1 is the undoubted favourite to get the better of his left-handed 22-year-old opponent, who hopes to pose problems to the top-10 player with his technique.
Match preview
Fritz had a mixed Laver Cup in Berlin, edging ahead in his head-to-head with Alexander Zverev in their 11th match-up before the United States player was beaten in the decider by Carlos Alcaraz in two sets.
Perhaps still hungover from that loss and most likely suffering the effects of jet lag after changing time zones, the world No. 7 suffered an early exit to Arthur Fils at the Tokyo Open four days after Team World lost to Team Europe.
Having had time to rest and adjust to different surroundings, Fritz targets a deep run in Shanghai, keen to strengthen his position in the top eight as the race to the ATP Finals heats up before the November event.
The American's strong performance on hard courts, including five titles and a Masters 1000 win at Indian Wells in 2022, suggests he could be a contender here, with his recent US Open final appearance further underscoring his competence on the surface.
While Fritz targets a deep run in the ATP 1000 event, Atmane hopes to give a good account of himself when he takes on another American opponent after Thursday's triumph over Aleksandar Kovacevic.
The Qualifier beat the world No. 73 in two tight sets 6-4, 7-6(4) to set up his match with the United States' top-ranked player this weekend.
Returning to Shanghai a year after his Masters 1000 debut, the Frenchman aims to surpass his previous performance, where he reached the second round before losing to Nicolas Jarry.
Although he has since reached the third round of a 1000 event at this year's tournament in Rome, Atmane must play near-flawless tennis to have any chance of causing an upset against Fritz.
Tournament so far
Taylor Fritz:
First round: Bye
Terence Atmane:
First round: vs. Aleksander Kovacevic 6-4 7-6[4]
Head To Head
Both players are facing on the ATP Tour for the first time, and the Frenchman, who served eight aces in his first-round match, hopes to be as menacing on serve, even if four double faults in that Kovacevic victory equally shows a weakness.
Fritz, winner of two titles in 2024, enters the event in Shanghai with a 45-19 win-loss record and a 10-7 record in Masters 1000 events, making him a possible contender in Shanghai.
We say: Fritz to win in two sets
Having had time to recharge his batteries following a quick Laver Cup-Tokyo Open turnaround, Fritz should dispatch Atmane in straight sets to advance to the tournament's third round.
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