Damien Kayat previews Andy Murray vs Romain Safiullin and Stan Wawrina vs Dusan Lajovic in selected round of 64 matches in the Shanghai Masters on the 4th of October 2023.
2023 ATP Tour
Masters 1000
Shanghai Masters
Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China (Outdoor Hardcourt)
Selected Round of 64 Matches – 4th October
Andy Murray 1/1 | Romain Safiullin 7/10
This looks set to be a tantalizing clash between World No.40 Andy Murray and World No.41 Roman Safiullin. Former World No.1 Andy Murray simply loves it in Shanghai, reaching four finals and winning three titles in this prestigious Masters 1000 event.
But the Brit is currently undergoing a bit of an existential crisis. The Scot had a decent start to the season, reaching a final in Qatar and accumulating three Challenger titles. But he has disappointed in the latter parts of the season and he has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with his level.
He was crushed by Dimitrov at Flushing Meadows and he comes to Shanghai off the back of early exits at the Zhuhai Championships and the China Open.
Another early exit could really get the retirement bells clanging. And he has once again been handed a pretty disastrous draw as he comes up against recent Chengdu finalist Roman Safiullin.
26-year-old Russian Roman Safiullin has enjoyed a really encouraging under-the-radar campaign. The aggressive Russian baseliner produced heroics at SW19, becoming only the 12th man in history to reach a Wimbledon quarterfinal on debut.
And he arrives in Shanghai in fine fettle, reaching his maiden ATP final at last week’s Chengdu Open. He never dropped a set en route to the final and actually led the rejuvenated Alex Zverev by a set in the championship match.
Safiullin has a useful- if not explosive- serve that allows him to settle into his rhythm. He then likes to dictate play with an aggressive style. His brilliant movement at the back of the court actually reminds me of prime David Goffin. He is just an industrious player who doesn’t give you a moments rest.
Verdict: Safiullin to win in three
Murray won their only previous encounter at last year’s Swiss Indoors event. This is really a bit of a nightmare draw for Murray. He pushed ‘Speed Demon’ De Minaur to three sets in the China Open and he will once again face a stern physical examination here.
I don’t think those defensive skills are what they used to be and I can see the Russian getting the upper hand here. The Russian is also defensively sound and I don’t see him growing impatient in extended rallies.
Stan Wawrina 4/11 | Dusan Lajovic 9/5
World No.47 Stan Wawrinka will take on World No.54 Dusan Lajovic in a battle of true grizzled veterans. The two players come in at a combined age of 71 (making this something of a retro encounter). 38-year-old Swiss Stan Wawrinka has had his injury and form issues over the past few years.
He’s never going to reach the heights that saw him claim three major titles in the golden age of the ‘Big Three’. But he has slowly started to accumulate some decent form as the season has progressed. He reached the final of the Umag Open prior to a very respectable 3rd round run at the US Open.
He suffered a gruelling early exit at the Astana Open and he will be desperate for a rousing end to the campaign. His movement has looked exemplary of late and that one-handed backhand is as potent and versatile as ever. But how will he physically hold up this week after what has been an arduous season?
With Novak Djokovic cementing himself further into sporting immortality on a weekly basis, it’s easy to forget that there are some other Serbian players out there.
33-year-old Dusan Lajovic has been a bit of a journeyman pro who has largely enjoyed succeed on clay-courts. The pinnacle of his career was a herculean run to the Monte-Carlo Masters back in 2019. But he has generally found more success in modest events.
He actually won his 2nd career title at this year’s Srpska Open (beating the likes of Djokovic and Rublev in the process). He also enjoyed a nice little period during the South American clay-court swing. But he arrives in Shanghai off the back of early exits at the Chengdu Open and China Open.
Verdict: Wawrinka to win in straight-sets
Wawrinka leads the head-to-head with Lajovic 2-0. But their last meeting came all the way back at the 2015 French Open. I think Wawrinka will coast to victory here. He has looked formidable against much better opposition than Lajovic and I expect him to once again defy his age with a solid Shanghai showing.
