Marin Cilic is currently on a six-match losing streak, and this poor run has cost him heavily in the rankings. He lost a significant number of points after failing to defend his title at the ATP Hangzhou, where he exited early without winning a single match, falling in three sets to the inexperienced Nishesh Basavareddy.
On top of his current six-match losing streak, the Croatian also faces another hurdle this week, a four-match skid at the Shanghai Masters. He has not won a match at this event since 2017, when he reached the semifinals for his best result at the tournament.
Moreover, it has been a long time since the former world No. 3 managed to win a main-draw match at Masters level. His last victory came at the Cincinnati Masters in 2022. His only Masters main-draw appearance in 2025 was in Madrid this past April, where he suffered a first-round defeat to Benjamin Bonzi.
This season has been far from smooth for Nikoloz Basilashvili, with multiple injury setbacks leading to several retirements. However, he has begun to build some real momentum during the Asian swing, and it will be interesting to see how far he can carry it.
He has collected seven wins since arriving in Asia last month, including two in the Shanghai Masters qualifying rounds this week. Now set for his first main-draw appearance in Shanghai since 2019, even a single victory here would virtually secure his return to the top 100, as he currently sits at No. 100 in the live rankings.
Head-to-head: Marin Cilic leads 1-0. Neither player can be considered reliable at the moment, with Cilic struggling due to age-related decline and loss of consistency, while Nikoloz Basilashvili remains as unpredictable as ever. Both enter this clash with a genuine opportunity, and the outcome is likely to hinge on which of them can settle into their best rhythm on the day.
