Tomas Machac’s start to the Asian swing was far from ideal, as he lost in straight sets to Sho Shimabukuro in the first round in Tokyo last week. However, a week later at the Shanghai Masters, he appeared more settled and adapted to the Asian conditions, dominating Mattia Bellucci in the opening round to kick off his account for this year’s Asian swing.
It was a confident start for the Czech, who is defending significant points at the Shanghai Masters this fortnight. This follows a hugely successful debut campaign here in 2024, when he defeated players like Carlos Alcaraz and Tommy Paul before falling to Jannik Sinner in the semifinals, marking his career-best result at the Masters level.
On paper, Machac’s chances of recouping maximum points from his previous year’s run have improved significantly following the early exit of the in-form Alexander Bublik. This has handed him a more manageable third-round opponent in world No. 204 Valentin Vacherot. That said, it is only on paper, and Machac still needs to execute, having already lost three matches this year to non-top-100 players: Yosuke Watanuki at Indian Wells, August Holmgren at Wimbledon, and Sho Shimabukuro in Tokyo.
Facing Alexander Bublik in challenging conditions, which often trigger dips in his level, was always a prime opportunity for a lower-ranked player to claim a notable win. This time, Valentin Vacherot seized the chance, fighting back from a set down to defeat Bublik, who had won four ATP titles in the last five months.
The Monégasque player has made very few main-draw appearances on the ATP Tour so far in his career, but within that limited experience, he has already faced top-30 opponents three times and impressed in all those matches. This week, he defeated Alexander Bublik, and earlier this year he took a set off Grigor Dimitrov at the Monte Carlo Masters, having narrowly lost 5-7, 2-6 to Dimitrov at the same event last year.
Vacherot came close to making his top-100 debut early in 2024, but a sudden string of losses and an ordinary 2025 saw him fall out of the top 200. With little momentum heading into this week, he needed a spark, and he appears to have found it at the Shanghai Masters. Starting the week ranked No. 204, he has risen to No. 166 in the live rankings, putting him on track for a return to the top 150.
Head-to-head: 0-0. Valentin Vacherot cannot match Tomas Machac shot for shot, but he is physically strong and has excellent endurance. His best chance is to capitalize on these advantages and force the Czech into a long, demanding physical battle. Otherwise, if Machac is allowed to play comfortably without being tested by the conditions, he should cruise to a dominant win.
