Shanghai Masters 2025 Day 9: Men's singles predictions ft. Novak Djokovic vs Jaume Munar, Gabriel Diallo vs Zizou Bergs

The fourth round of men's singles will get underway from Day 9 (Tuesday, October 7) of the Shanghai Masters 2025. Jannik Sinner's title defense concluded on an unfortunate note, after intense cramps left him unable to continue during his third-round contest against Tallon Griekspoor on Sunday.

A total of seven players have retired due to the tough conditions here. The wave of upsets continued on Monday, with third seed Alexander Zverev being the latest high-profile name to bite the dust. He was sent packing by Arthur Rinderknech.

Players will get ready to fight for a spot in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. With that in mind, here are the predictions for all the men's singles matches set to take place on Day 9 of the Shanghai Masters 2025:

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#1. Novak Djokovic vs Jaume Munar

Djokovic commenced his quest for a fifth Shanghai Masters title with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Marin Cilic. He sealed his spot in the fourth round with a 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback win over Yannick Hanfmann. The Serb wasn't at his best physically, even throwing up in the middle of the match before persevering to get over the finish line.

Munar overcame a one-set deficit to beat Marton Fucsovics in his opener here. He upset 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli with a 7-5, 6-1 win, and fought past Yoshihito Nishioka in three sets to reach the fourth round in Shanghai for the first time, and for the third time at the Masters 1000 level.

The conditions in Shanghai have been quite brutal, with quite a few retirements so far. The courts being slowed down adds another dimension to the players' predicament. Djokovic won his previous and only meeting against Munar at the French Open 2018 in straight sets. The Serb will be expected to repeat the feat given their respective resumes, unless the conditions prove to be too much for him to deal with.

Predicted winner: Novak Djokovic

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#2. Holger Rune vs Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard

Holger Rune is the 10th seed at the Shanghai Masters 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Rune's path to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters included routine wins over Sebastian Baez and 21st seed Ugo Humbert. Mpetshi Perricard did the same by beating Luca Nardi and fifth seed Taylor Fritz. He beat the American 6-4, 7-5 for his first top 10 win this season.

Mpetshi Perricard has won back-to-back matches at the Masters 1000 level for the first time this year. He has also progressed to the fourth round at this level for the first time in his career. After a breakthrough season last year, the young Frenchman has struggled to replicate his success from a year ago. He has a 16-21 record this year, which falls flat in front of Rune's 33-20 record.

This will be the third meeting between them. Both of their prior matches were decided in two competitive sets. Mpetshi Perricard won their first contest en route to the title in Basel last year, while Rune came out on top at the Canadian Open a couple of months ago.

Neither prefers to compete in slow conditions, though Rune did reach the final of the Indian Wells Masters this year, where the courts are slow as well. The Dane will be expected to prevail in this encounter based on their respective results this season.

Predicted winner: Holger Rune

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#3. Gabriel Diallo vs Zizou Bergs

Diallo scored a routine 6-4, 6-4 over Benjamin Bonzi to begin his Shanghai Masters campaign. He advanced to the fourth round after David Goffin retired just a few minutes into their third-round contest. He's now one step away from reaching his second Masters 1000 quarterfinal.

Bergs ousted Sebastian Korda in the first round, and a mid-match retirement from 11th seed Casper Ruud put him in the third round. He beat 19th seed Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (1), 6-3 to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time.

Diallo leads Bergs 2-0 in the head-to-head. Both of their previous matches took place this year. He first beat him en route to the Madrid Open quarterfinals, and then inflicted another loss in the Libema Open final. This will be their first contest on hardcourts, which could aid Bergs, though Diallo's record in this rivalry tips the scales in his favor to complete a hat-trick of wins.

Predicted winner: Gabriel Diallo

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#4. Tallon Griekspoor vs Valentin Vacherot

Tallon Griekspoor is the 27th seed at the Shanghai Masters 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Griekspoor snapped his seven-match losing streak by beating Jenson Brooksby in three sets at the Shanghai Masters. With defending champion Jannik Sinner on the other side of the net in the third round, no one expected him to progress any further. However, the latter's mid-match retirement paved the way for him to reach the fourth round.

Vacherot came through the qualifying rounds and upset 14th seed Alexander Bublik in the second round. He benefitted from 20th seed Tomas Machac's retirement in the third round to reach the fourth round of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time.

Vacherot has punched way above his weight over the past week to make it this far. Griekspoor hasn't been at his best in recent weeks, though his resurgence this week could indicate that the worst is behind him. He will be pleased with himself after matching Sinner shot for shot until his eventual retirement. This newfound confidence could help him end Vacherot's dream run at the Shanghai Masters.

Predicted winner: Tallon Griekspoor

Edited by Rohit