Hangzhou Open 2024 Day 4: Men's singles predictions ft. Zhang Zhizhen vs Mattia Bellucci

Home favorite Zhang Zhizhen and former Grand Slam champion Marin Cilic will lead the action on Day 4 of the Hangzhou Open. Both men are looking to secure spots in the ATP 250 event's quarterfinals.

While Zhang will take on Italy's Mattia Bellucci in his round-of-16 encounter, Cilic will lock horns with Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka.

Both matches promise some top-drawer action and can go down to the wire. Here, we look at the prospects of the four names in the fray on Day 4 of the Hangzhou Open:

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Zhang Zhizhen vs Mattia Bellucci

Mattia Bellucci (Source: Getty)

Home favorite and sixth seed Zhang Zhizhen will take on Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the second round of the 2024 Hangzhou Open.

Both men came through contrasting wins in their opening matches with the Italian dropping just four games in his opener against Aslan Karatsev, and the Chinese needing three sets to get past Kazakhstans’ Denis Yevseyev.

That said, Zhang will be the favorite on paper given his superior ranking and level of experience playing on the Tour. While he is the younger of the two, he has been playing at the Tour-level events for longer than his opponent.

This year, Zhang has a 22-23 win-loss record to show for, compared to his opponent’s 5-5. There are also over 50 places between the two in the rankings.

To add to that, Zhang’s powerful groundstrokes put him at an advantage on the hardcourts, whereas his opponent favors playing the slower clay courts. The Chinese player is prime to making easy errors at times, but if he can play patiently, he should be able to power through.

Prediction: Zhang to win three sets

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Yoshihito Nishioka vs Marin Cilic

Marin Cilic (Source: Getty)

When playing at his best, Marin Cilic can be an absolute menace on the hardcourts. The former US Open champion is capable of generating plenty of pace off both wings and likes to be aggressive in his approach.

In stark contrast, his second-round opponent Yoshihito Nishioka relies on his defensive prowess and incredible footspeed to win matches.

The Japanese, seeded eighth at this year's tournament, runs down a lot of balls and often frustrates opponents into over-pressing. He has enjoyed a solid season this year and has a win-loss of 19-14, including a title run at Atlanta back in July.

Cilic, on the other hand, has also played sporadically this year. In fact, the opening-round win over Zachary Svajda was his first of the season.

The encounter will pit the Croat's power against the Japanese player's counterpunching, but given their recent run of form, the latter will be feeling good about his prospects.

Prediction: Cilic to win in three sets