ATP Masters in Shanghai, Quarterfinals, Thursday, 10/10/2024, 9:10 a.m.
Welcome to duel number 14! At the Shanghai Masters, we will see an early final in the round of the last eight when Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev face each other for the fifth time this year on Thursday.
Since the South Tyrolean is ranked number 1 in the world, he has to deal with the pressure of being the favorite.
In my Sinner Medvedev tip, I will now tell you why I am expecting a very close match and therefore prefer the bet on at least one tiebreak.
Somehow nothing seems to faze him! Jannik Sinner continues to fly through 2024, hardly letting anything stop him. He can hardly count the titles anymore, defeats are extremely rare.
After losing the final of the China Open to Carlos Alcaraz, something like that stands out quickly in 2024, he now wants to be at the top again in Shanghai at a major Masters.
After starting the tournament with a quick 6-1, 6-4 against Taro Daniel, a few surprises arose. Tomas Martin Etcheverry presented Sinner with a real test.
The favorite prevailed 6-7, 6-4, 6-2, becoming more and more dominant with every rally. In the round of 16, the South Tyrolean got revenge against the man who knocked him out in the 2019 Shanghai premiere.
6-4, 7-6, Sinner had to fight hard against Ben Shelton to leave the court as the winner. He defended against all seven break chances of the American, but he only had one himself, which he also used.
There was only one break of serve by the opponent during the Masters, which of course clearly shows that Sinner always has everything under control. Anyone who wins 87% of points on their first serve knows exactly where their strength lies.
The Italian will need all his strength in the quarterfinals, because he knows Daniil Medvedev inside out. The two have already met 13 times, with the Russian just ahead with a narrow 7-6 lead.
But Sinner is catching up fast, winning six of the last seven matches! In 2024, he celebrated three victories, and it is interesting to note that he and Medvedev faced each other in three of four Grand Slams.
But now that he is the world number 1, our bookmakers favor him anyway. If you are thinking of placing a bet on a victory, keep in mind that the odds average 1.35 to 3.10.
How is Medvedev performing in Shanghai? At the US Open, the Russian was knocked out in the quarterfinals in four sets by Sinner, and in the following Laver Cup, he lost to both Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe after leading.
In China, the Russian at least made it to the semi-finals, but had no chance against Alcaraz here. And now Shanghai, the tournament he won in 2019. Admittedly, Medvedev is not serving particularly confidently these days.
7-5, 7-5 against Thiago Seyboth Wild, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 against Matteo Arnaldi and 7-6, 6-3 against Stefanos Tsitsipas? Only his performance against the Greek was solid enough to ignore the criticism.
It was his best game in the tournament, and the 83% first serve points won were particularly pleasing. Arnaldi and Wild had a combined total of 11 break chances, compared to just one for Tsitsipas.
Medvedev has clearly improved, so the only question now is whether that will be enough to beat his current bogey opponent. Unbelievable, but true: this year he has NEVER won a title!
My Sinner Medvedev tip
Sinner now enjoys playing against Medvedev, which explains the South Tyrolean’s role as favorite. Of course, his upcoming opponent is someone you can never underestimate.
The last two matches have offered nine sets, which shows how close it is going to be here. That’s another reason why I decided to bet on a close game and say:
A tiebreak is possible!
