Cerundolo Faces Mensik as Shanghai Masters Advances to Round Three

Francisco Cerundolo enters the third round of the 2026 Shanghai Masters with a strong historical advantage over Jakub Mensik, while Ben Shelton prepares to face rising French player Arthur Gea. The matches will determine which players advance toward the round of 16, with recent results and performances during the Asian swing shaping expectations for Sunday's encounters, according to Tenngrand. Cerundolo, the 21st seed and world No. 20, has won all three of his previous meetings with the 13th-seeded Mensik.

Their latest encounter came in Beijing last week, where the Argentine recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory, reinforcing his advantage in the matchup. The pair also met on outdoor hard courts at the 2024 Beijing tournament, where Cerundolo won 7-6(4), 6-1. Mensik, ranked 15th, opened his Shanghai campaign with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Miomir Kecmanovic, while Cerundolo defeated Roman Safiullin 7-6(5), 6-3.

According to Tenngrand's preview, Mensik remains motivated by his prospects of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals, but Cerundolo's unbeaten record against the Czech player makes the Argentine a strong contender to advance. The preview predicts that Cerundolo will win in three sets.

Shelton, meanwhile, faces Gea in their first career meeting. The American is seeking to strengthen his position in the race to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals, and the fast Shanghai court conditions are considered favorable to his playing style, according to Tenngrand. Gea, 21, is enjoying the strongest season of his career.

Before 2026, he had never won an ATP-level match, but he has collected 13 victories this year, including three wins on his way to the fourth round of the U.S. Open.

The Frenchman most recently defeated compatriot Ugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. Despite Gea's progress, Tenngrand predicts that Shelton will win in two sets. Other third-round action includes Karen Khachanov against Adrian Mannarino and Alex de Minaur against Rei Sakamoto, according to Last Word on Sports. Khachanov leads Mannarino 5-0 in their head-to-head series, giving the Russian a substantial historical advantage ahead of their Shanghai meeting.

Mannarino arrives after one of his strongest victories of the year, and the quicker Shanghai conditions could help his left-handed serve. However, Last Word on Sports expects Khachanov's consistency from the baseline to prove decisive and predicts a straight-sets victory. De Minaur's participation had been uncertain after he retired during the Beijing Open final.

The Australian received a walkover in his opening Shanghai match, allowing him to continue in the tournament without playing that round. His opponent, Sakamoto, advanced through qualifying and relies on an aggressive approach supported by a strong serve. Last Word on Sports identifies Sakamoto's attacking game as a potential challenge if De Minaur remains physically affected, but predicts that the Australian's consistency from the baseline will carry him through the match.