Luca Van Assche vs Bu Yunchaokete Preview & Prediction | 2026 Shanghai Masters | First Round

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Luca Van Assche takes on Bu Yunchaokete in round one of the Shanghai Masters. 

Ranking points: ATP 1000

Start date/time: 8 October 2026 at 11:00 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 Luca Van Assche vs Bu Yunchaokete ticket information

Luca Van Assche vs Bu Yunchaokete prediction

Luca Van Assche has enjoyed the strongest season of his career, and he is now up to 45 in the world. The Frenchman has won five titles in total in 2026, with one of those being a first on the ATP Tour in Estoril. He produced a notable US Open victory in the first-round against Cameron Norrie, before a loss to Denis Shapovalov. His most recent appearance came in Tokyo, where he lost in straight sets to a rampant Arthur Fils.

Bu Yunchaokete has found some form during the Asian swing. He reached the Hanghzou quarter-finals, beating Michael Zheng and Kamil Majchrzak, before a loss to Roman Safiullin. Bu then defeated Juan Manuel Cerundolo in Beijing and seriously tested Novak Djokovic, taking the opening set before eventually losing 4-6 7-6 (2) 6-2.

Van Assche will look to extend the rallies and expose any inconsistency from Bu’s groundstrokes. Bu, however, possesses the heavier serve and is playing his best tennis of the season in recent weeks. He also has the advantage of home support. 

Luca Van Assche vs Bu Yunchaokete tip: Bu Yunchaokete to win