I've gotta tell ya, this Shanghai Masters round of 64 match-up is shaping up to be as unpredictable as a cat on a hot tin roof. On one side of the net, we have Marcos Giron, who's been playing tennis with all the consistency of a faulty metronome. Giron steamrolled his last opponent, Li Tu, with a clean 2-set love, but then we remember his previous performances where he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hurkacz and de Minaur.
But let's chat about the 24-seed Karen Khachanov. Seems this fella is the bookie's darling but his recent record is, let's say, as spotty as a leopard in a paint factory. Khachanov's last match against Alcaraz ended with him not even winning a single set though, just prior to that, he dazzled us with his wins over Cerundolo and Carballés Baena without dropping a set. Quite a rollercoaster, isn't it?
The ping-pong of recent results withstanding, let's remember the cardinal rule: never underestimate the power of a seeded player. Khachanov, with the 24th seed, definitely has the odds going his way. Giron, the unseeded, might want to start believing in miracles.
So, referencing the tennis rulebook and not my favorite grumpy old cat's cradle of predictions, I'd put my money on Khachanov. But remember, Giron is not going to hand it over without a fight, so probably we'll go the distance.
Albert’s Prediction: Khachanov in 3 sets.