Alex de Minaur and Daniil Medvedev will compete against each other for the twelfth time in their careers when they compete in the quarter-finals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Friday.
Medvedev once led the head-to-head series 6-2, but the score now stands at a more competitive 7-4 in his favor. De Minaur has had some success in this match with victories last spring at Roland Garros (4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3) and earlier this season in Monte-Carlo (6-2, 6-2).
It has already been an eventful fortnight in Shanghai for Medvedev. The 18th-ranked Russian suffered severe cramps in the second set against Learner Tien on Wednesday, but prevailed 7-6(6), 6-7(1), 6-4 after two hours and 52 minutes of grueling tennis. That was preceded by outright defeats of Dalibor Svrcina and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The Minaur, on the other hand, has never had any problems in extreme conditions and no one in Shanghai has enjoyed a more routine ride through the draw. The seventh-ranked Australian secured his place in the last eight by beating Camilo Ugo Carabelli, Kamil Majchrzak and Nuno Borges by dropping a set or even being pushed to a tiebreak. De Minaur is now a stellar 50-18 for his 2025 campaign.
Even if physicality wasn’t a factor, De Minaur is the better player right now – and has been that way for the past two seasons. Given Medvedev’s recent problems with heat and humidity (including in Beijing last month, also against Tien), De Minaur is probably the last man the 29-year-old would want to face in this situation.
Look for No. 7 to force Medvedev into submission, likely even before it reaches a third set.
Choice: van Minaur in 2
#Shanghai #Preview #Picks #Prediction #Minaur #Medvedev