This week’s ATP 250 event in Hangzhou doesn’t feature a particularly strong field on paper, with most top players either choosing to rest or play the Laver Cup, but it still promises to feature plenty of exciting matches and it has a very unpredictable outcome. It also features a lot of talented Chinese players, some of whom will be in action this Thursday. We predict all of the day’s matches, split between three articles. Our other two articles feature Zhizhen Zhang vs Denis Yevseyev and Yoshihito Nishioka vs Maximilian Marterer. Who do you think will advance?
Head-to-head: Wing 1-0 Wu
After a great 2023, where he won a first ever career title even, Wu has struggled a lot with injuries and is all the way down at #566 in the rankings and looking to return to his best (so far he has peaked at #54). Wong is the better player right now as their rankings show, but Wu is definitely the more talented of the two overall, with the higher upside, and should have the edge under normal circumstances.
Prediction: Wu in 3
Head-to-head: Gaston 1-0 Bu
Gaston has had some nice runs in 2024, including a final this summer in Kitzbühel, but he has been struggling lately, with four consecutive defeats coming into this tournament, without winning a single set. He will now face an opponent he beat earlier this year in the Australian Open qualifiers, but he’s sure to have his work cut out for him, with Bu playing some good tennis lately and having home advantage. Bu might even have the slight advantage here.
Prediction: Bu in 3
Embed from Getty Images
Head-to-head: Trungelliti 1-0 Shevchenko
Shevchenko hasn’t really had a big breakthrough yet, but he has shown to be quite a solid player at this level and Trungelliti shouldn’t be able to cause too many problems here. If this matchup were to be played on clay, it could be a different story, but on a relatively fast hard court, Shevchenko should have quite a clear edge.
Prediction: Shevchenko in 2
Main Photo Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal on Friday (December 20) visited American Alex Michelsen, Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, and Czech Jakub Mensik on the sidel
Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031
Alex Michelsen will take on Learner Tien in the Next Gen ATP Finals Men Singles 2024 semifinals on Saturday, December 21. In Michelsen’s most recent
From teenage star to an all-time tennis great, Rafael Nadal’s career was nothing short of remarkable and he has inspired many a tennis player along the way, i