Roman Safiullin vs Alexis Galarneau Prediction Shanghai Rolex Masters - Shanghai · Oct 5, 2026

Analysis

Safiullin arrives in Shanghai qualifying with the stronger body of recent evidence: he beat Flavio Cobolli 2-0 twice on 30 September and 1 October, came through a three-setter against Quentin Halys (2-1) on 26 September, and even took a set off Andrey Rublev in a 1-2 defeat on 3 October. That is a player holding his level against top opposition, and his flat, first-strike hard-court game translates well to quick Shanghai conditions. Galarneau's recent sample is thinner and more uneven: a 2-0 win over Elias Ymer on 22 September sits between straight-sets losses to Lloyd Harris (0-2 on 23 September) and Dalibor Svrcina (0-2 on 26 August). The one genuine caveat is turnaround — Safiullin played on 3 October, so a 5 October start gives him very little rest, and Galarneau is a competitor who can hang in rallies and stretch a set to a tie-break. Even so, the gap in ball-striking and service weight should decide this before a third set, and we lean to a straight-sets favourite who is comfortable dictating from the baseline.