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The men's singles draw for the Shanghai Masters have been released and we are in for a week of exciting tennis drama in the biggest ATP event of the Asian swing.
Novak Djokovic will not be competing this year, but there will be several top players in action. Daniil Medvedev won the most recent edition of the Masters 1000 competition in 2019 and will be a heavy favorite to win this year as well.
The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev are more than capable of challenging for the title.
On that note, let's take a look at how the men's singles draw at the Shanghai Masters could pan out.
First Quarter: Carlos Alcaraz and Taylor Fritz could lock horns in QF
Seeded Players: (1) Carlos Alcaraz, (7) Taylor Fritz, (10) Frances Tiafoe, (13) Karen Khachanov, (18) Grigor Dimitrov, (22) Nicolas Jarry, (27) Jiri Lehecka, (30) Dan Evans
Expected Quarterfinal: Carlos Alcaraz vs Taylor Fritz
Dark Horse: Lorenzo Sonego
Analysis: Top seed Carlos Alcaraz will make his debut in Shanghai and will start off against either Nuno Borges or Gregoire Barrere in the second round.
The Spaniard's potential opponents later on include Karen Khachanov, Grigor Dimitrov and Dan Evans. Given his quality, he should be able to make it through to the quarterfinals without much trouble.
The other side of this quarter has the likes of Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe, and it culd most likely come down to the two of them for a place in the quarterfinals. However, Nicolas Jarry, Jiri Lehecka and Diego Schwartzman should not be written off.
Fritz and Tiafoe are both solid players and we could see a tight last-16 contest between the two, with the former narrowly coming out on top.
Alcaraz and Fritz will most likely lock horns in the quarterfinals. Considering the former's quality, we can expect him to come out on top, although the American is capable of challenging him.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Carlos Alcaraz def. Taylor Fritz.
Second Quarter: Andrey Rublev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will be challenged by Cameron Norrie and Tommy Paul
Seeded Players: (4) Stefanos Tsitsipas, (5) Andrey Rublev, (12) Tommy Paul, (15) Cameron Norrie, (21) Jan-Lennard Struff, (24) Alejandro Davidovick Fokina, (31) Adrian Mannarino, (32) Ugo Humbert
Expected quarterfinal: Andrey Rublev vs Cameron Norrie
Dark Horse: Aslan Karatsev
Analysis: Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is in this quarter and will be eager to have a good run in Shanghai following disappointments at the US Open and China Open.
The Greek's potential opponents up until the third round include Laslo Djere and Ugo Humbert. He should manage to make it through to the fourth round, where he will most likely take on 15th seed Cameron Norrie.
The Brit is a solid opponent on his day and is capable of getting the better of Tsitsipas to reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
The other side of this quarter has fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who will be eager to do well at the Shanghai Masters following his second-round exit in Beijing. The Russian should be able to reach the fourth round without much trouble.
Here, he will face either 12th seed Tommy Paul or 24th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. While both players are capable of giving Rublev a run for his money, he should be able to get the better of them and reach the quarterfinals.
Rublev and Norrie recently faced one another in Beijing, and the former narrowly came out on top. We could see a similar result if they lock horns in the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
Quarterfinal prediction: Andrey Rublev def. Cameron Norrie
Third quarter: Holger Rune, Casper Ruud, Hubert Hurkacz, Lorenzo Musetti make for interesting draw
Seeded Players: (3) Holger Rune, (8) Casper Ruud, (11) Alex de Minaur, (16) Hubert Hurkacz, (17) Lorenzo Musetti, (23) Tallon Griekspoor, (28) Tomas Martin Etcheverry, (29) Christopher Eubanks
Expected Quarterfinal: Casper Ruud vs Hubert Hurkacz
Dark Horse: Stan Wawrinka
Analysis: Eighth seed Casper Ruud hasn't had a particularly impressive 2023 season and he will look to make the most out of the Asian swing. The Norwegian will face either Yoshihito Nishioka or Daniel Altmaier in the second round and will be expected to win regardless.
Ruud could face Christopher Eubanks in the next round followed by Alex de Minaur in the fourth round. De Minaur could be a really tough opponent for the Norwegian, but he should just about manage to come out on top and reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
The other side of this quarter has third seed Holger Rune, who suffered a second-round exit at the China Open and will look to bounce back.
That side also has the likes of Brandon Nakashima and Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Lorenzo Musetti. However, it will most likely come down to Rune and Hubert Hurkacz battling out for a place in the quarterfinals.
Hurkacz put up a tough fight against Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati and Montreal, which shows how much of a force he can be on his day. Given the Pole's capabilities and Rune's lackluster form of late, we could expect him to come out on top and reach the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals.
Ruud vs Hurkacz promises to be an exciting matchup. If the Norwegian can stay composed, he could come out on top and reach the semifinals of the Masters 1000 event.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Casper Ruud def. Hubert Hurkacz
Fourth Quarter: Daniil Medvedev will aim to win second title at Shanghai Masters
Seeded Players: (2) Daniil Medvedev, (6) Jannik Sinner, (9) Alexander Zverev, (15) Felix Auger-Aliassime, (19) Ben Shelton , (20 Francisco Cerundolo, (25) Sebastian Baez, (26) Sebastian Korda
Expected quarterfinal: Daniil Medvedev vs Jannik Sinner
Dark Horse: Andy Murray
Analysis: Defending champion Daniil Medvedev will be expected to launch another title challenge at the Shanghai Masters this season.
The Russian's potential opponents early on the in the tournament include Cristian Garin and Sebastian Korda. He should not face too many issues reaching the fourth round.
Here, Medvedev will most likely take on 15th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime or 20th seed Francisco Cerundolo. He hould manage to beat either of the two to reach the quarterfinals of the Shanghai Masters.
The other side of this quarter has sixth seed Jannik Sinner, who will be among the title contenders in Shanghai. This side also includes Ben Shelton, Andy Murray and Sebastian Baez, but it will most likely come down to the Italian and Alexander Zverev for a place in the quarterfinals.
While the German has looked resurgent, Sinner should be able to edge him out and reach the last eight of the Shanghai Masters.
Medvedev and Sinner facing off on hard courts promises to be an exciting clash, with the Russian's current form likely to just about see him through.
Quarterfinal Prediction: Daniil Medvedev def. Jannik Sinner
Semifinal Predictions
Carlos Alcaraz and Andrey Rublev will most likely lock horns in one semifinal. The Spaniard's quality should be enough to see him beat the Russian and reach the final of the Shanghai Masters.
The other semifinal could see Daniil Medvedev get the better of Casper Ruud due to his superior hard-court prowess.
Predicted final: Carlos Alcaraz vs Daniil Medvedev
Final Prediction
Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev previously locked horns in the US Open, and the Russian came out on top. While we could see a humdinger in the Shanghai Masters final, there is a fair chance of Medvedev winning again since he is more familiar with the conditions than Alcaraz.
Predicted winner: Daniil Medvedev.
