A place in the last 16 of the Shanghai Masters will be at stake when two of the game's exciting young talents, Jiri Lehecka and Rafael Jodar, go head-to-head on Monday morning.
Both players were taken the distance when booking their spots in the third round, with 22nd-seed Lehecka needing three sets to overcome Nuno Borges 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Jodar's match with Thiago Agustin Tirante also went to a decider, with the 12th seed coming from a set down to prevail 4-6 6-2 6-3.
The winner of this match will go on to face either Arthur Fils or Botic van de Zandschulp in the fourth round.
Jiri Lehecka v Rafael Jodar Tips Summary
Best Bet - Jiri Lehecka -1.5 games @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Jiri Lehecka to win 2-0 @ 15/8
Bet Builder - Under 9.5 games in first set, Jiri Lehecka 10+ aces & Match to go the distance - No @ 25/4
Jiri Lehecka v Rafael Jodar Prediction
Best Bet: Jiri Lehecka -1.5 games @ 5/6
When these two players met for the first and only previous time in the fourth round of another ATP 1000 event, the Canadian Open in August, Jodar ran out a relatively comfortable 6-3 6-3 winner.
However, the form of both players has altered somewhat since then, with Lehecka coming into this tournament fresh from his run to the final of the Japan Open, where he found only Carlos Alcaraz too strong in the final.
The Czech was also relatively comfortable in his victory over Borges in his first match in Shanghai, as he lost the only break point he faced in that showdown and won an impressive 40 of the 49 points contested on his first serve.
Jodar was not so comfortable against Tirante and had to show plenty of battling spirit to come from a set down to see off the world number 54.
That unconvincing victory came off the back of a rather abject first-round exit at the Japan Open to Adolfo Daniel Vallejo where he picked up only four games, while he also fell at the first hurdle at the US Open, to Yunchaokete Bu, again going down in straight sets.
The 20-year-old Spaniard has undoubtedly enjoyed a breakthrough year on the ATP Tour - highlighted by his run to the quarter-finals of the French Open and maiden tour success at the Grand Prix Hassan II.
However, he may just be running out of steam and Lehecka can capitalise by winning this one with something to spare.
Alternative Bet: Jiri Lehecka to win 2-0 @ 15/8
Supporters of Lehecka could go even stronger in favour of the Czech player by backing him to win in straight sets, something he achieved against Valentin Vacherot and Jodar's conqueror, Vallejo, on his way through to the Japan Open final.
Lehecka dropped only two games when dismantling Vallejo, who himself had eased past an under-par Jodar.
Jodar was also taken apart by world number 93 Bu at Flushing Meadows, going down 6-2 6-1 6-1, and against a player of Lehecka's quality, if he doesn't rediscover somewhere near his best form, he may struggle to keep this one close.
Jiri Lehecka v Rafael Jodar Bet Builder Tip
- Under 9.5 games in first set
- Jiri Lehecka 10+ aces
- Match to go the distance - No
Pays 25/4
Following the theme of siding with Lehecka to win relatively comfortably, the games total of the first set could fail to reach double figures.
That was the case in all three sets of the Czech's second-round win over Borges, while, although there were 10 as Jodar dropped the first set against Tirante, the next two featured just eight and nine.
Lehecka recorded 12 aces in his win over Borges and is averaging nearly nine per match over the course of the season.
The Czech star's total of 409 aces for the season is considerably more than Jodar's tally of 218 and his superior serve could help him see him through this contest without the need for a deciding set.
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Key Match Stats
- Jiri Lehecka reached his second ATP Tour final of the season at the recent Japan Open
- The Czech player has not won an ATP Tour event since the 2025 Brisbane International
- Rafael Jodar has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026, winning his first title at ATP Tour level at the Grand Prix Hassan II
- Jodar has lost in the first round of his last two regular events on the ATP Tour
- The Spaniard did win the only previous meeting between these two players, triumphing 6-3 6-3 at the Canadian Open in August
- Jodar is ranked 13th in the world, three places above Lehecka
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
