Tiafoe, Cobolli, and Pegula Advance in Shanghai Masters

SHANGHAI, China — Frances Tiafoe will face Yannick Hanfmann in the second round of the 2025 Rolex Shanghai Masters after both players advanced from their opening matches on October 2. Tiafoe, seeded 25th, received a bye in the first round, while Hanfmann secured his spot with a comeback win over Lorenzo Sonego.

Tiafoe has experienced an inconsistent season, highlighted by a finals appearance in Houston where he lost to Jenson Brooksby. He also made it to the quarterfinals at the French Open and in Washington. However, he faced early exits in many tournaments, including a recent first-round loss to Marton Fucsovics in Tokyo.

Statistically, Tiafoe has fired 379 aces this season, winning 75% of his first-serve points and converting 38% of break points across 357 opportunities. Hanfmann, still seeking his first ATP title, advanced by winning seven Challenger titles, including one in Hagen earlier this year. Despite a recent slump, he won 67% of his first serves and converted 36% of break points this season.

In their previous meeting at Stuttgart last year, Tiafoe defeated Hanfmann in straight sets, giving Tiafoe a head-to-head advantage of 1-0. Analysts predict Tiafoe’s power and experience may give him an edge over the resilient Hanfmann.

Separately, at the same tournament, 22nd seed Flavio Cobolli and unseeded Jaume Munar are set to battle after Cobolli received a first-round bye while Munar advanced with a victory over Marton Fucsovics. Cobolli’s standout season includes two title wins, while Munar has delivered steady performances but struggled at times with consistency.

In the quarterfinals of the China Open, fifth seed Jessica Pegula will face 16th seed Emma Navarro. Both players earned first-round byes, with Pegula displaying strong form leading up to this match. She has had a season filled with both title wins and early exits, while Navarro recently upset top seed Iga Swiatek and aims to leverage her growing confidence.

The matchups in both tournaments are expected to be closely contested as players vie for advancement in these pivotal events.