David Goffin made the most of his opportunity in Shanghai, taking advantage of Ben Shelton’s limited match practice and fitness issues to record an impressive straight-sets victory in the second round. The result marked a rare achievement for the Belgian, as it was his first time winning back-to-back main-draw matches since Munich in April 2025.
This stroke of fortune could not have come at a better time for the Belgian, who was in desperate need of a positive result to halt his ranking slide. Goffin managed to save his 2024 season and secure a top-100 spot with a late surge in results during the second half of the year, but his inability to defend those points in recent weeks had pushed him to the brink of dropping out of the elite group. This timely run to the third round, however, has allowed him to remain inside the top 100 for now.
Goffin still needs a few more wins to equal his Shanghai Masters run from last year, when he upset Alexander Zverev to reach the quarterfinals. That campaign was part of a strong surge in the second half of 2024 that salvaged his season, and it also marked the last time he advanced beyond the third round at a Masters event.
Gabriel Diallo’s debut at the Shanghai Masters in 2024 ended with a first-round exit, but his much-improved ranking this year gave him a bye into the second round. He took full advantage of it by securing his first main-draw victory at the tournament, easing past Benjamin Bonzi in convincing fashion.
The Canadian is statistically in the most successful stretch of his career over the past few months, with his level of play also remaining consistently solid. However, he has not managed to produce any standout results since his title run in ’s-Hertogenbosch. The main factor has been a string of tough draws that pitted him against top players early in tournaments, including in Tokyo just days ago, where he faced Taylor Fritz in the opening round and fell in three sets.
For that reason, Diallo will be greatly relieved to see Ben Shelton’s early exit, giving him the opportunity to face a non–top-50 opponent for a place in the Shanghai Masters round of 16. Diallo has won 13 of his last 14 matches against players ranked outside the top 50, including a perfect 3-0 record at Masters events.
Head-to-head: Goffin leads 1-0. Goffin, a former world No. 7, has the pedigree and accomplishments that speak for themselves. However, at this juncture, Gabriel Diallo is competing at a much higher level with greater physical endurance, making him the rightful favorite in this matchup.