I’m backing two players to advance to the Shanghai Masters quarterfinals on Wednesday.
The pre-match narrative: Daniil Medvedev is finally finding some form after a disasterous season, and I expect him to exact some revenge against 19-year-old Learner Tien, who beat him in Beijing last week. Before that, look for Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime to move past Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti.
Check out my top Shanghai Masters predictions for the round of 16.
Shanghai Masters predictions: Round of 16
Best Bet: Medvedev -1.5 sets (-112)
Is there still time for Medvedev to salvage his season?
It depends on who you ask. I’m sure the Russian would categorize his year as a disaster after losing in the opening round of the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Still, Medvedev has found some form on the China swing with an entirely new coaching staff.
He owns a 5-2 record over three events, with straight set wins over world No. 3 Alexander Zverev and No. 20 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (twice).
One of his losses was to Tien in the Beijing quarterfinals. But Medvedev was one game away from a straight-set victory before suffering cramps, which ultimately forced him to retire in the third set.
He was dominating the young American until that point, and Tien has struggled to put away some mid-tier players at this event, needing three sets to beat No. 47 Miomir Kecmanovic and No. 38 Corentin Moutet.
Medvedev also seems to feel like he’s finally on an equal playing field in the humid Shanghai air.
I like the odds on him to advance with ease.
Key stat: Medvedev is 18-11 on hard courts this year.
Tennis best bet: Auger-Aliassime vs. Musetti
Auger-Aliassime to win (-106): This should be a great match between two competitors with a healthy history, and I’m keen to ride with the Canadian.
Musetti leads the head-to-head matchup, 4-3, but three of those wins came on clay.
Auger-Aliassime is in the midst of his best hard court season, going 28-10 with a trip to the U.S. Open semifinal.
He’s 10-2 in his last 12 matches on hard courts, losing only to Jannik Sinner in that span.
Musetti is also on a great run, going 11-3 on hard courts since the Cincinnati Open with a loss to Sinner and a retirement.
But he’s played a lot more tennis lately — seven more matches since Flushing Meadows, to be exact — so I’ll lean with the more well-rested player.
Tennis predictions made at 11:45 p.m. on 10/07/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.