Left-Handers only!

First Shang - Mannarino, and now he gets to face Tabilo...

Shang was quite a large favorite against Mannarino, but looked nothing like it. The Frenchman was coming into this tournament without any real form for a long time, but he was very solid, which really drove Shang crazy. Something that was especially encouraging to me was the fact that he actually served well... this had been an issue for him for the last few months, definitely something that contributed to his losses. If his serve clicks, his game becomes quite dangerous in these quick conditions! We have seen it quite a bit with Mannarino for a few years now... he can go several tournaments where his game doesn't click, but then he shows up at a good level for a tournament, and it tends to last throughout that entire tournament! Also, I think it's worth mentioning that his level in the American hardcourt swing was not actually that bad, despite not winning a lot. He played rather well from the baseline; he was just severely handicapped due to his serving level.

Speaking of the American hardcourt swing, Tabilo played that part of the season quite well. Losing to Zverev at the US Open is nothing to really mourn, even though I didn't like his level in that match. I wasn't able to watch his Davis Cup match against Merida Aguilar (at home in Chile), but he did lose it, and now he has to come to China a few days later and defend a title. It's quite a distance to travel, and we already see Borges pulling out after playing in El Salvador... and Duckworth looking leggy after coming from a loss in Australia. Chengdu's conditions are great for Tabilo's game, but he needs to find his game quickly, since his opponent has already adjusted!