American Ace Fritz Battles French Upstart Mpetshi Perricard in Shanghai Showdown

On October 5th, 2025, the 2025 Shanghai Masters will see a clash of the titans as 5th-seeded American player Taylor Fritz takes on 32nd-seeded Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the third round.

Fritz has been in excellent form this season, winning 50 of his 68 matches. The American player has found great success on the grass courts, winning titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, and reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon. However, he initially struggled on the hard courts, but regained his rhythm with a semifinal run at the Miami Open. Since the natural surface season, Fritz has continued his strong play, reaching the semifinals in Toronto and the quarterfinals in New York, before making his first hard-court final of the year in Tokyo, where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

In contrast, 2025 has not been a great year for Mpetshi Perricard. The Frenchman's best result came on the Challenger Tour, where he won the title in Bordeaux. On the hard courts, he has reached the semifinals in Brisbane and Winston-Salem, but has struggled to progress past the third round in most events.

This will be the second meeting between the two players, with Fritz holding a 1-0 head-to-head advantage after winning their previous encounter at Wimbledon this year. The American is the favorite to win this matchup, as he has a more reliable second serve and a better return game compared to his French opponent.