Jenson Brooksby began his Shanghai Masters debut with a comfortable straight-sets victory over the inexperienced James Trotter. Brooksby was in full control throughout the match, not facing a single break point on his own serve while creating four opportunities on his opponent’s, closing out the win 7-6, 6-1.
The American has only competed in two tournaments during the Asian swing in his career, reaching the semifinals on both occasions. He achieved this in Seoul in 2022 and most recently in Tokyo earlier this week, which was his first Asian swing appearance following a two-year suspension.
Building on the strong form and momentum from Tokyo, a good result at the Shanghai Masters would see Brooksby return to the top 50 in the ATP rankings. This would be a remarkable achievement in such a short time, especially considering his ranking when he returned from suspension earlier this year.
Tallon Griekspoor recently admitted to struggling with confidence and feeling out of rhythm on the court ahead of the Asian swing, and his problems appear to be mounting. He has lost in the opening round of both tournaments he has played so far, falling to Taro Daniel in Chengdu and Corentin Moutet in Beijing.
This difficult phase is eroding the progress Griekspoor made earlier this year, including his title win in Mallorca and the rebuilding of his ranking after a disappointing 2024. He is currently on a seven-match losing streak and has not won a match since Bastad in July.
Head-to-head: Jenson Brooksby leads 1-0. While both players are capable of winning, there is a significant difference in their current confidence, form, and momentum. All of these factors heavily favor Brooksby, making him the clear favorite to continue his strong run on the Asian swing.
