Tomas Machac’s prolonged fitness struggles this year raised concerns about his prospects on the Asian swing, where conditions are particularly challenging. The worries were confirmed as he got off to a poor start, losing in straight sets to underdog Sho Shimabukuro in the first round in Tokyo last week.
That was a costly result for the Czech, who was defending semifinal points in Tokyo but failed to recoup any. Conditions in Shanghai this week are expected to be even more demanding, yet Machac must find a solution and win a few matches to prevent further ranking damage. He has a strong debut campaign here in 2024 to build on, having reached the semifinals after a stunning victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
Machac has recently struggled against left-handed opponents, losing seven of his last nine matches. His most recent Masters campaign also ended at the hands of a lefty, falling 3-6, 3-6 to Adrian Mannarino in the opening round at the Cincinnati Masters.
Mattia Bellucci isn’t in the best form either, but he had the chance to play a first-round match in Shanghai this week and adapt to the conditions, which could prove useful in his second-round clash against higher-ranked Tomas Machac. Facing Adam Walton, who has extensive experience in the region, Bellucci put in a solid performance to secure a 7-6, 6-1 victory.
Prior to this week, the Italian held a 1-5 record in first-round Masters matches. Coincidentally, that sole win also came at the Shanghai Masters in 2024, during his debut at the event, where he fell in the second round to a much higher-ranked Alexander Zverev, 4-6, 2-6.
Head-to-Head: Mattia Bellucci leads 1-0. Tomas Machac has the attacking ability to beat even top players on hard courts, as he demonstrated at this venue in Shanghai last year. However, his inconsistent fitness and endurance mean that underdogs like Bellucci can always be hopeful of their chances, especially under the demanding conditions, as in Shanghai.
