One notch higher

Nuno Borges has found his game again in Shanghai’s hot, slowed-down conditions. Can he stake a claim to victory against Bip Bip the Coyote?

A solid counterpuncher, hugging the baseline, redirects the ball perfectly, and almost never cracks mentally. No two ways about it: when the Portuguese is hot, he’s a real handful for most players. His wins over Vukic and VDZ are fairly logical because they still give him a bit of time on the baseline to get set. The one against Shang is a bit better, since he’s more aggressive—and that’s the kind of thing that can trouble Nuno. De Minaur will look to rush him by taking the ball early, but it’s not certain he can keep that level up for an entire match. De Minaur said it himself: “the courts are so slow that I have to adapt my game.” So we’re looking at a situation where Nuno will be comfortable as a counterpuncher because he’ll have a bit of time; however, when he has to take the initiative, it’ll be less straightforward. Overall, I think both players will need to adjust their strategy as the match goes on, and Nuno will have his chance to take a set.