Shanghai Masters 2023: Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick

Match Details

Fixture: (16) Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis

Date: Saturday, October 7

Tournament: Shanghai Masters 2023

Round: Second Round (Round of 64)

Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena in Shanghai, China

Category: ATP 1000

Surface: Hard (Indoor)

Prize money: $8,800,000

Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN

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Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis preview

Hurkacz opens his Shanghai campaign against Kokkinakis.

Sixteenth seed Hubert Hurkacz will get his Shanghai Masters campaign up and running against unseeded Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis.

World No. 17 Hurkacz has a 32-20 win-loss record this season after losing in straight sets to Frances Tiafoe as Team Europe lost to Team World in last month's Laver Cup in Vancouver.

The 26-year-old reached the third round in the Canada Masters and the semifinals in Cincinnati before losing in the second round at the US Open. Hurkacz won his lone title of the year in Marseille before reaching the last eight in Dubai and the semifinal in Stuttgart.

Hurkacz, who reached the second week at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, has a 2-2 record in Shanghai, where he reached the third round in his last appearance (2019). On his tournament debut the previous year, the Pole lost in the first round to Heong Chung.

Meanwhile, the 71st-ranked Kokkinakis is 16-15 in 2023 after downing Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in straight sets in his Shanghai opener. After dropping two games in the first set, the Australian faced sterner resistance in his second - conceding four games - to reach the second round.

He's now 1-1 in Shanghai, having lost on his tournament debut in 2014 to Feliciano Lopez.

The win came after Kokkinakis had lost to Jack Draper of Great Britain in a Davis Cup Group B Round Robin match in Manchester in a third-set tiebreak. Earlier this season, the 27-year-old reached the last four at Adelaide 2 for his best result on tour and also won the Manama Challenger.

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Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis head-to-head

Hurkacz has won both his meetings with Kokkinakis. Both matches came this year - Miami and Cincinnati - and went the distance.

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Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis odds

Player	Moneyline	Handicap Bets	Total Games (over/under)
Hubert Hurkacz
Thanasi Kokkinakis

(Odds will be updated when available)

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Hubert Hurkacz vs Thanasi Kokkinakis prediction

Kokkinakis is off the mark in Shanghai.

Both Hurkacz and Kokkinakis look to dominate opponents from the baseline and have similar game styles. Both players serve big, hit powerfully off either flank and also move well.

However, Hurkacz takes the edge because of his superior consistency, pedigree and experience. The Pole has a 114-80 record on hardcourts, winning five titles, while Kokkinakis is only 51-60 on the surface, winning just one title.

Hurkacz will do well not to underestimate Kokkinakis, though, as the Australian took him to a deciding set tiebreak in both meetings this year. Kokkinakis is also coming off a win in the first round, but expect Hurkacz to take another hard-fought win.

Pick: Hurkacz to win in three sets.