“My goal right now is to finish the year in the Top 5, keep my place. I think that’s just a better mindset to have, both to qualify for the finals and play good tennis for the rest of the year,“ Taylor Fritz said after winning his first match at the 2024 Shanghai Masters. Fritz has been in superb form this season, having already won two titles in 2024. Whether his third title will come in Shanghai remains to be seen, but for now, his focus shifts to facing the formidable Dane, Holger Rune. Fritz will take on the 21-year-old ATP star in the R16 of the Shanghai Masters. Who has the real edge in this enticing contest?

Taylor Fritz vs Holger Rune: Preview

Taylor Fritz started the season by reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic. Following that, he claimed the title at the Delray Beach Open. Despite several deep runs after that win, he struggled to convert them into significant results. His next success came at the Eastbourne International, where he defeated Australia’s Max Purcell in the final, 6-4, 6-3. Fritz then enjoyed an impressive run at the US Open, though he fell short in the final, losing to Jannik Sinner 3-6, 4-6, 5-7. Here in Shanghai, Fritz has already won his first two matches, but can he secure a third victory in a row?

His opponent in the R16, Holger Rune, has had a decent season but has yet to win a title this year. Will Shanghai be where he turns his fortunes around? Only time will tell. Rune began his 2024 season by reaching the final of the Brisbane International, where he was beaten by Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov. Since then, Rune has made several quarterfinal and semifinal appearances but has been unable to clinch a title when it counted. In Shanghai, Rune has started strong with back-to-back wins, defeating Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5 in the Round of 32. Can he now overcome the American in the next round?

Fritz vs Rune: Head-to-Head

Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune have faced each other twice in their careers so far. Interestingly, their H2H record is now well-poised at 1-1. So, it will be interesting to see who takes the first step forward by winning their next match.

• 2023 Miami Open R16: Fritz 6-3,6-4.
• 2024 Indian Wells Masters R16: Rune 2-6,7-6(2),6-3.

Prediction: Fritz to win in three sets

Fasten your seatbelts for an exciting clash at the Shanghai Masters. Both Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune have been in good form this season, so we expect this match to be a competitive one. What keeps the American ahead of the Dane in this matchup? The simple answer is that Fritz has played a better brand of tennis this season than Rune. Taylor Fritz is currently ranked 7th in the world with a win-loss record of 45-19. Holger Rune, on the other hand, is ranked 14th in the world and has a win-loss record of 39-21.

Now, if we take a look at their playing styles, Rune is essentially an all-court player. His defensive skills are quite impressive, and he loves using his compact forehand and consistent backhand shots to effectively move his opponents around the court. His quick movements, along with his tricky drop shots, have the potential to cause trouble even for the best players. Taylor Fritz will need to be mindful of this in their match. However, Rune’s weaknesses have become more noticeable recently—his opponent in the first match in Shanghai, Matteo Berrettini, hit 16 aces, and in the second match, Lehecka fired 11 aces against Rune.

We all know that Taylor Fritz has a dominant serve in his arsenal. He has hit 638 aces this season while committing 109 double faults. So, we expect Fritz to win the serving battle! In terms of other aspects of his game, Fritz is an offensive baseliner, and his powerful groundstrokes often force errors from his opponents. His most consistent and powerful stroke is his forehand. He also possesses a strong backhand, although it’s a bit flatter and lower bouncing. His court movement is exceptional. Considering all these factors, we expect Taylor Fritz to come out on top in this match, but it will likely be a close one!