Botic van de Zandschulp vs Daniel Merida Preview & Prediction | 2026 Shanghai Masters | First Round

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Botic van de Zandschulp takes on Daniel Merida at the Shanghai Masters. 

Ranking points: ATP 1000

Start date/time: 8 October 2026 at 8:00 am

Venue: Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, Shanghai, China

Surface: Outdoor hard

How to watch on TV: UK – Sky Sports Tennis / USA – Tennis Channel

How to watch online: UK – Sky Go / USA – Tennis Channel

Tickets: Visit this link for the latest Botic van de Zandschulp vs Daniel Merida ticket information

Botic van de Zandschulp vs Daniel Merida prediction

Botic van de Zandschulp began his Asian swing at the Chengdu Open, losing his opening match to Nikoloz Basilashvili. He then qualified in Beijing, again losing in the first-round to Francisco Cerundolo. Van de Zandschulp advanced to the quarter-finals of the US Open for the second time in his career last month. He is up to 38 in the live rankings.

His first-round opponent is Daniel Merida. The young Spaniard has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in 2026, capped off by his first tour-level title at the Croatia Open. Merida was in Davis Cup action for Spain last time out, coming from a set down to beat Alejandro Tabilo of Chile in his singles match. His recent hard court results have been impressive, with a quarter-final run in Montreal backed up by third-round appearances in Cincinnati and New York.

Van de Zandschulp should provide a stern first-round test for Merida, but the youngster still deserves to start as the favourite.

Botic van de Zandschulp vs Daniel Merida tip: Daniel Merida to win