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Day 6 (Saturday, October 4) of the Shanghai Masters 2025 will mark the conclusion of the second round. There were plenty of upsets on Friday, starting with sixth seed Ben Shelton's loss to David Goffin. The American was competing for the first time since his mid-match retirement from the US Open last month and was clearly not at his best.
25th seed Frances Tiafoe was also sent packing by Yannick Hanfmann. 11th seed Casper Ruud retired due to an injury while trailing 4-1 in the third set. Alexander Bublik and Flavio Cobolli were the other seeded players to lose.
It wasn't all doom and gloom for the big names. Novak Djokovic and Holger Rune were among the day's victors, leading the charge for the top guns. As more players aim to join them in the third round, here are the predictions for some of the men's singles matches set for Day 6 of the Shanghai Masters 2025:
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#1. Learner Tien vs Corentin Moutet
Tien's breakthrough season continued with a runner-up finish to Jannik Sinner at the recently concluded China Open. He beat four top 25 players en route to the final, including No. 9 Lorenzo Musetti for his fifth win over a top 10 player this year. He made a winning debut at the Shanghai Masters, rallying from a set down to beat Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the first round.
Moutet got promoted to a seeded spot in Shanghai on account of Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal, and received a first-round bye as a result. He started the Asian swing with a semifinal at the Hangzhou Open, followed by a second-round outing at the China Open. He has a 26-20 record this year, which is comparable to Tien's 24-21 record for the season.
The two have already crossed paths twice this year. Tien won their first career meeting en route to the fourth round of the Australian Open, while Moutet had the last laugh when they met on the grass courts of Mallorca. The young American is more adept on hardcourts and based on his recent form, he's likely to get the better of Moutet once again.
Predicted winner: Learner Tien
#2. Andrey Rublev vs Yoshihito Nishioka
After performing consistently throughout the North American swing, Rublev seems to have hit a wall upon his arrival in Asia. He's yet to win a match in recent weeks, losing in the first round of the Hangzhou Open and the China Open. He has a 32-22 record this year, with a title at the Qatar Open being his only trophy. He's former runner-up at the Shanghai Masters, losing the 2023 final against Hubert Hurkacz.
Rublev received a bye into the second round of the Shanghai Masters, while his opponent, Nishioka, has been toiling all week. The latter came through the qualifying rounds, and then beat Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-2 in the first round. He snapped his seven-match losing streak with the win, and improved his record for the year to 9-16.
However, Nishioka isn't out of the woods just yet. He has lost 13 of his last 14 matches, and he has won back-to-back matches just twice this season. Rublev leads their rivalry 3-2. Even though his own form has taken a hit, Nishioka's struggles offer him an opportunity to snap his own losing streak.
Predicted winner: Andrey Rublev
#3. Alex Michelsen vs Arthur Rinderknech
Michelsen's breakout season commenced with a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open. He later advanced to his maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal at the Canadian Open. However, his results have taken a turn for the worse since then. Since his third-round exit from the Cincinnati Open, he hasn't won a match.
Michelsen has arrived at the Shanghai Masters on a four-match losing streak. He has a 22-23 record this year, and received a bye into the second round here. Rinderknech was up against Hamad Medjedovic in the first round, and advanced to the second round after his opponent retired at the start of the second set. His record for the season now stands at 21-25, although he has only nine wins on hardcourts.
Rinderknech won both of his previous matches against Michelsen in straight but competitive sets. With the latter being in a slump, the Frenchman has the potential to extend his winning streak in this match-up.
Predicted winner: Arthur Rinderknech
#4. Karen Khachanov vs Shang Juncheng
A runner-up finish at the Canadian Open is the highlight of Khachanov's season so far. He also returned to the top 10 for the first time since 2019. He has been largely consistent this year, compiling a 30-20 record, though his recent results leave a lot to be desired. He lost in the second round of the US Open and left the China Open without a win. He received a first-round bye at the Shanghai Masters.
Shang is looking to rebuild his career after an injury layoff. After retiring from his first-round match at the Australian Open at the start of the season, he returned to action in July. After failing to win a match during the North American swing, he won a match before losing in the second round of the Chengdu Open. He commenced his Shanghai Masters campaign with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Aleksandar Kovacevic.
Shang has never beaten a top 10 player before, going 0-6 against them so far. While Khachanov is far from his best at the moment, the 20-year-old is unlikely to score a big upset so early into his comeback.
Predicted winner: Karen Khachanov
