World no.39, and sixth seed, Mackenzie McDonald, faces 18-year-old Juncheng Shang in the first round of the 2023 Zhuhai Championships on Thursday, September 21. Get the predictions and odds of this Mackenzie McDonald v Juncheng Shang match along with its preview, head to head, and tips here.
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Mackenzie McDonald v Juncheng Shang Head to Head
There have been no previous encounters between them.
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McDonald Set for a Good Run
McDonald is currently sitting at a career high ranking of world no.39.
He’s a consistent performer on the tour and hasn’t really had any extended periods of poor form. If it wasn’t for his weakness on clay, he probably would be within the world’s top 30.
On hard and grass, MacDonald’s game is solid in all departments, but he does possess a particularly aggressive forehand that he likes to flatten out when possible. Mixed with his willingness to come forward and finish points at the net, he has a game style capable of defeating some of the very best players. A 4-2 Win/Loss record against top ten players this season, speaks for itself.
His performances on hard courts this season have been good, with multiple quarter finals and standout wins against higher ranked players. Having not competed since the US Open, three weeks ago, McDonald has had time to rest, travel over to Asia and hopefully acclimatize.
The only worrying statistic, is his losing record against left handers. Shang is a lefty and likes to run around his backhand to hit heavy spin forehands. Shang may not be an ideal opponent, but McDonald’s class and experience should prove too strong.
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An Exciting Young Prospect in Shang
Shang only turned pro in 2021 but has soared up the rankings and earnt the right to compete at the highest level.
For someone so young, he has a promising YTD Win/Loss record in ATP Tour main draws: 4-5. Notably, all four of these victories occurred within the last two months and have been on hard courts.
He beat Ben Shelton in back-to-back weeks in the month prior to the US Open. An impressive accomplishment, as Shelton went on the reach the semi-finals at the Grand Slam. Whilst this clearly shows Shang can compete at a world class level, perhaps we shouldn’t read too much into it as there aren’t a lot of similarities between Shelton’s and McDonald’s game styles.
In the last two weeks, Shang has competed at two challengers in China and has racked up a few more wins.
Shang retired from a match seven days ago, although, it seems to have been precautionary as he’s since been seen practicing at the Zhuhai Championships.
McDonald v Shang Prediction and Tip
Mackenzie will likely face a spirited effort from his Chinese opponent, however, there is no doubt he has the game to overcome it. Expect an exciting tussle, with McDonald emerging victorious.
Tips:
- Low Risk Tip: McDonald to win: 4/9 (with bet365)
- Moderate Risk Tip: McDonald to win in straight sets: 6/5 (with bet365)
The 2023 Zhuhai Championships will be played from September 18 to 24. You can get all the tennis betting news with our tennis betting blog here. Also get rest of the tennis match previews here.
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