Day 5 at the ATP 250 in Chengdu will see the Quarterfinals take place, with four intriguing matches featuring names like local hope Juncheng Shang, who is looking to become just the second Chinese man to win an ATP title, and first-seed Lorenzo Musetti, in search of his first title since 2022 after losing two finals this year.
ATP Chengdu Quarterfinal Predictions
Nicolas Jarry vs Alibek Kachmazov
Head-to-head: First meeting
Kachmazov has taken the tennis world by surprise making the Quarterfinals in Chengdu, dispatching two seasoned opponents in Daniel and Kovacevic in straight sets. This is an amazing chance for him and he has nothing to lose here. But I expect Nico Jarry to be a step too far in terms of quality and firepower for the Russian to handle at this point. This is Jarry’s match to lose, and he needs a good run after a few rough months.
Prediction: Jarry in 2
Lorenzo Musetti vs Adrian Mannarino
Head-to-head: Musetti 0-1 Mannarino
Despite somewhat turning his second half of the season around (it was hard not to), Adrian Mannarino is still in terrible form. He needed three sets against both Terence Atmane and Yi Zhou, much inferior opponents to the Italian, and it is hard to see how he he can all of sudden find a level high enough to overcome Musetti and all the variety he has in his arsenal. If Lorenzo is able to display his average level, he should advance to the semifinals rather easily.
Prediction: Musetti in 2
Yannick Hanfmann vs Pedro Martinez
Head-to-head: Hanfmann 1-1 Martínez
What a chance this is for both men to make the semifinals of a hard-court ATP event. This is close to a toss-up, having split their previous encounters (both on clay) with very lopsided results. But Pedro Martínez is the higher-ranked player and was impressive in his win against Aleksandar Vukic. The Spaniard is the most likely one to display his trademark consistency and grind down the German in three closely contested sets.
Prediction: Martínez in 3
Alexander Bublik vs Juncheng Shang
Head-to-head: Bublik 1-1 Shang
Without question, the match of the quarterfinals in Chengdu. Both men have faced each other in outdoor hard courts twice in 2024, splitting the encounters in different fashion. The Kazakh easily dispatched Shang at Indian Wells. But the Chinese upped his level in the second half of the season and defeated a fully-motivated Bublik at the US Open in five sets. With a passionate crowd behind and at a 250 event, the local hero should be able to get the better of a Bublik whose motivation is doubtful in these kinds of tournaments.
Prediction: Shang in 3
Main Photo Credit: Taya Gray/The Desert Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK
