Recent form
Second round of the men’s singles at a hard-court Masters 1000, between American Ben Shelton and German Daniel Altmaier. Shelton is coming off a semifinal and then a final at the US Open, with victories over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, and Frances Tiafoe, before his defeat to Alexander Zverev on September 13, 2026.
He received a bye in Shanghai. Altmaier defeated Holger Rune on October 7, 2026, in three sets, 1-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, after 2 h 14, but his previously recorded hard-court results are inconsistent: a qualifying loss in Beijing on September 28, a first-round loss at the US Open on September 2, and two victories in Winston-Salem in late August.
The strength-of-opposition comparison somewhat favors Shelton, with the caveat that Rune had recently returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon and was playing only his third ATP tournament since his comeback.

