Shanghai Masters 2023 Day 3: Men's Singles Predictions ft. Ben Shelton vs Jaume Munar

Day 3 of the 2023 Shanghai Masters will see the start of the second round matches. All the top players received a first-round bye and will now kick off their campaigns from Friday (October 6).

Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka have been the biggest casualties so far, with the former Major champions bowing out in the first round itself. Some of the well-known names in action on Day 3 include top-10 players Alexander Zverev, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud.

On that note, here's a look at the predictions of some key matches taking place on Day 3 of the Shanghai Masters:

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#1 Sebastian Korda vs Bu Yunchaokete

Sebastian Korda will be making his debut at the Shanghai Masters.

Sebastian Korda arrives in Shanghai on the heels of a runner-up finish at the Astana Open. He also made it to the semifinals of the Zhuhai Championships the week before that. The American is in good form at the moment and will be keen to make a winning debut at the venue.

Bu Yunchaokete, meanwhile, was given a wildcard to compete here and made the most of it as well. He was leading Miomir Kecmanovic in the third set during their opening-round contest when the latter had to retire due to an injury. Although not ideal, this marked his maiden win at the Masters 1000 level.

After an injury derailed Korda's momentum, he seems to be displaying the same form from the start of the season. Given the vast gulf in experience between these two, the American will be favored to get through this clash.

Predicted winner: Sebastian Korda

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#2 Felix Auger-Aliassime vs Marton Fucsovics

This will be Felix Auger-Aliassime's second appearance at the Shanghai Masters.

With a 15-16 win-loss record for the season, Felix Auger-Aliassime has been going through some tough times. A combination of fitness and form issues have contributed to a string of losses.

Auger-Aliassime is currently on a three-match losing streak. The last time he won consecutive matches was back in March during the Indian Wells Masters.

Marton Fucsovics' season has been marginally better. He defeated qualifier Denis Yevseyev in straight sets to begin his Shanghai Masters campaign on a high.

Auger-Aliassime leads Fucsovics 2-1 in their rivalry. Given how they've played this season, this match could swing either way. The Canadian seems to be completely out of sorts for now, so his opponent does have a good shot at victory.

Predicted winner: Marton Fucsovics

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#3 Alex de Minaur vs Fabian Marozsan

Fabian Marozsan made quite the splash with a win over Carlos Alcaraz at this year's Italian Open, that too, on his debut. However, he hasn't scored a win over another notable name since then. The Shanghai Masters will be his second main-draw appearance at a Masters 1000 tournament.

Marozsan made it past Arthur Rinderknech in straight sets to make a winning debut here.

Alex de Minaur, on the other hand, has notched up some pretty good results over the last few weeks. However, he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the second round of last week's China Open.

Marozsan's got the talent and the game, but there's still time before he's able to get the better of someone as consistent de Minaur. The Australian's defensive brand of tennis is likely to prevail in this match-up.

Predicted winner: Alex de Minaur

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#4 Ben Shelton vs Jaume Munar

This will be Ben Shelton's first appearance at the Shanghai Masters.

Following an impressive quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open, Ben Shelton struggled to get going. It wasn't until the US Open that he would notch up another memorable result. The American youngster made it all the way to the semifinals, his first at a Major.

Shelton then lost to Novak Djokovic. He participated in the Laver Cup after that, winning both of his doubles ties to lead Team World to victory. The 20-year-old is now gearing up to make his debut at the Shanghai Masters.

Jaume Munar's competing on the ATP tour for the first time since July. He defeated Te Rigele in straight sets to make a victorious return to the tour. It also marked his first win on hardcourts this season.

Shelton hasn't made it past the second round of a Masters 1000 tournament this season. However, given Munar's poor results on the surface this year, the American has a good shot at emerging victorious.

Predicted winner: Ben Shelton