Cerundolo vs Safiullin Prediction 9 October 2026
🔊 Roman Safiullin has been in good form during the Asian swing and made a strong start in Shanghai, winning three matches in a row including qualifying. In the second round he faces Francisco Cerundolo, who arrives in Shanghai off a quarter-final run at the Beijing 500. Cerundolo needs just one win in Shanghai to defend the ranking points he earned by reaching the third round there last year. The odds, however, are not in the favour of South America's top-ranked player. We'll see whether he can make a case against his underdog status.
Head-to-Head
📊 The head-to-head record is level at one win apiece, though on hard courts the Argentine leads 1-0.
Head-to-head statistics Cerundolo - Safiullin
Francisco Cerundolo Player Overview
Francisco Cerundolo arrives in the second round having won seven of his last ten matches, including a quarter-final run at the recent Beijing 500. During that stretch he beat Botic Van De Zandschulp and Jakub Mensik, with his only defeat coming against Daniil Medvedev, against whom he was competitive in the first set (6-7, 3-6). Cerundolo holds 70% of his service games, a solid figure even given his clay-court background. That background also feeds through into the average length of his matches - 31.4 games - of which he wins 55%. His set-winning rate stands at 61%.
Match Results: Francisco Cerundolo
Roman Safiullin Player Overview
Roman Safiullin has also been in good form, winning seven of his last ten matches, including a successful qualifying run in Shanghai and a comfortable first-round victory over Rinky Hijikata in the main draw (7-5, 6-3). Safiullin is holding serve in 77% of his service games and winning 65% of sets. The average number of games per match in his recent results is notably low at 21.2, and he has won six of those ten matches without dropping a set, against two defeats by the same margin. He is also converting 39% of break points.
Match Results: Roman Safiullin
Key factors
- Total Games - Under 23.5 has come in in 7 of the last 8 matches involving Francisco Cerundolo.
- Both players frequently finish matches in straight sets, which reduces the likelihood of a high game count.
- Francisco Cerundolo and Roman Safiullin have each won more than 60% of their sets over their last ten matches.
Expected scenario
Given how regularly both players have been finishing matches in straight sets, and their high set-winning percentages, it seems unlikely that this match will go the full distance. Safiullin, for his part, has won three matches in a row 2-0 since qualifying in Shanghai. Given how close the odds are and his ranking deficit to Cerundolo, we would not go as far as predicting a straightforward win for him, but it is worth noting both players' tendency to wrap up matches quickly over the past month.
Total Games Prediction
Matches involving Francisco Cerundolo rarely go beyond 23 games, with two-set outcomes being common. His game, built around winning points through aggressive rallies, does not lend itself to frequent holds of serve. He can break quickly and open up a lead, but he can equally drop several service games in a row and fall well behind his opponent.
⭐ Editor's Pick
Both players arrive at this match on the back of a run of confident performances, showing consistent form on serve and when converting break points. Matches between these two tend to be brisk, given their efficiency in rallies and, in Safiullin's case, on serve and return as well. The main scenario involves no extra sets, which gives reason to expect the total to stay below one of the key lines even if one phase of the match is competitive. The pick is Total Games - Under 24.5.
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Betting Tips: Francisco Cerundolo - Roman Safiullin
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