Alex De Minaur vs Alex Molcan Prediction Shanghai Rolex Masters - Shanghai · Oct 9, 2026

Analysis

De Minaur arrives in strong form, having beaten Mariano Navone 2-0, Quentin Halys 2-1, Andrey Rublev 2-1 and Hubert Hurkacz before his most recent loss to Novak Djokovic, so his level against quality opposition is proven. His game — elite movement, depth off both wings and relentless first-strike returning — travels well on Shanghai's medium-paced hard courts, where rallies reward the better athlete. Molcan has been winning matches too, taking out Federico Cina 2-1, Vit Kopriva 2-1 and Marco Trungelliti 2-0, but his heavy, high-bouncing left-handed baseline game is built for slower clay-style conditions and he was comfortably handled 0-2 by Karen Khachanov, the strongest hitter he has faced in this run. The step up in class is the key factor: De Minaur's speed neutralises the kind of looping depth Molcan uses to control lesser opponents. Expect De Minaur to dictate the baseline exchanges and win in straight sets, with Molcan's best hope being an early surge on serve in one set.