Day 3 of the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters will include 16 second-round matches, with many top players in action.
ATP Shanghai Day 3 PredictionsUgo Humbert vs Arthur GeaHead-to-Head: first meetingUgo Humbert has struggled to win matches since reaching the final in Eastbourne during the grass swing, but he showed signs of his best tennis in Beijing last week.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3Lorenzo Musetti vs Yi ZhouHead-to-Head: first meetingIt has been a challenging year for Lorenzo Musetti, as injuries have taken their toll and stopped his momentum every time he made a comeback.
Prediction: Musetti in 2Ben Shelton vs Daniel AltmaierHead-to-Head: Shelton 0-1 AltmaierUS Open finalist Ben Shelton opted out of the Laver Cup and also didn’t play last week to get some much-needed rest.
Daniel Altmaier has beaten Shelton earlier this season, but that was on clay.
Day 3 of the 2026 Rolex Shanghai Masters will include 16 second-round matches, with many top players in action. This article features third seed Ben Shelton, who will face Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate, but which players will advance to the third round?
ATP Shanghai Day 3 Predictions
Ugo Humbert vs Arthur Gea
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Ugo Humbert has struggled to win matches since reaching the final in Eastbourne during the grass swing, but he showed signs of his best tennis in Beijing last week. Humbert defeated the in-form Brandon Nakashima and took a set off Jiri Lehecka, who made the final later. Arthur Gea is having a breakout season and has been in much better form than his older compatriot. Humbert’s favourite part of the season is around the corner, but on outdoor hard courts, he remains vulnerable.
Prediction: Gea in 3
Brandon Nakashima vs Matteo Berrettini
Head-to-Head: Nakashima 0-1 Berrettini
Brandon Nakashima had an incredible North American hard-court swing, and he will look to bounce back after a straightforward loss to Ugo Humbert in Tokyo. Nakashima hasn’t won a match in Shanghai since 2023, but he has improved this season and could be a dangerous player in this edition. Matteo Berrettini hit 23 aces in a three-set win over Aleksandar Kovacevic in the first round. The Italian didn’t face a single break point and created 11 chances of his own. Berrettini defeated Nakashima back in 2022, but the American has improved a lot since then and can match Berrettini’s serve and firepower. Nakashima is also more consistent from the baseline, giving him a slight advantage.
Prediction: Nakashima in 3
Lorenzo Musetti vs Yi Zhou
Head-to-Head: first meeting
It has been a challenging year for Lorenzo Musetti, as injuries have taken their toll and stopped his momentum every time he made a comeback. This will be his first appearance since the US Open, and he might not be at his best early on. However, he has a favorable matchup against wild card Yi Zhou, who is gritty but lacks the weapons or experience to bother the Italian.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
Ben Shelton vs Daniel Altmaier
Head-to-Head: Shelton 0-1 Altmaier
US Open finalist Ben Shelton opted out of the Laver Cup and also didn’t play last week to get some much-needed rest. He will feel rejuvenated and will look to make a solid start to his campaign. Daniel Altmaier has beaten Shelton earlier this season, but that was on clay. Shelton’s serve would be much more effective here, and the German will feel extra pressure on his service games.
Prediction: Shelton in 2
Main Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
