In the sweltering heat of the Shanghai Masters, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard clawed his way to the third round on Friday, edging out Italy's Luca Nardi in a gritty 6-3, 7-6 (4) victory. It wasn't pretty—Mpetshi Perricard, who's had a bumpy 2025 season marked by inconsistencies, finally showed some bite. Nardi, fresh off a straight-sets win over Sebastian Ofner in the opener, couldn't quite summon the magic this time. Indeed, the Frenchman's powerful serves, clocking over 130 mph at points, overwhelmed the court, though he admitted post-match that his confidence had been shaky lately.
Meanwhile, American Ben Shelton gears up for a pivotal second-round showdown against veteran David Goffin. Shelton, ranked inside the top 20, has been on a tear this fall, but Goffin's crafty baseline game could test his aggressive style. The 22-year-old Shelton, known for that booming lefty serve, dropped just one set en route to the main draw here—yet whispers in the locker room suggest he's nursing a minor ankle tweak from Davis Cup duties. Goffin, ever the resilient underdog at 33, pulled off a qualifier miracle to even reach this stage, reminding everyone why experience still matters in these high-stakes ATP 1000 events.
Over on another court, Francisco Cerundolo faces Adrian Mannarino in what's shaping up as a tactical affair. The Argentine, seeded ninth, dispatched Bu Yunchaokete in the first round but looked far from invincible, spraying unforced errors under the lights. Cerundolo's heavy topspin forehand has carried him to semifinals elsewhere this year, but Mannarino's slice-and-dice variety might expose any rust. However, with the draw opening up—upsets claiming seeds left and right—Shelton and company can't afford complacency.
These matches underscore Shanghai's unpredictability, where youth collides with guile in ways that redefine tour dynamics. As the tournament progresses, one wonders if the next big swing will come from an unexpected quarter.