Mattia Bellucci aims to stun the returning Alexander Zverev in Saturday's Shanghai Masters second-round match.
The Qualifier came through his tournament opener against lucky loser Billy Harris in straight sets but faces the daunting test of the six-time Masters 1000 champion.
Match preview
© Imago
After several unsuccessful attempts to make it through qualifying and into the main draw at Masters events, Bellucci made his ATP 1000 debut against lucky loser Harris on Thursday, a test he came through as he secured a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
Buoyed by that triumph over the Briton, the 23-year-old Italian player faces possibly the biggest test of his career against Zverev, seeking to notch a career-high triumph against his German opponent.
It does not get much better for a player ranked 101 in the world heading into Saturday after his main draw appearance in Tokyo ended early with a tournament-opening loss to Jack Draper following a last-16 appearance in the ATP 250 event in Hangzhou in mid-September.
Although he got the better of two-time Grand Slam champion Stanislas Wawrinka at the US Open, defeating a player at the peak of his powers in Zverev in Shanghai will possibly rank as the finest of his career.
While most observers will consider it a long shot, the world No. 3's health issues mean his condition entering the Asian swing remains uncertain.
His day three win over Frances Tiafoe at the Laver Cup last month may have been pivotal in Team Europe's success, but he skipped the China Open due to pneumonia.
Back in action after taking time to recuperate, it remains to be seen how swiftly Zverev reaches his best level in Shanghai as he targets a seventh Masters 1000 success.
The world No. 3's finest showing at this event came five years back when he defeated Andrey Rublev, Roger Federer and Matteo Berrettini en route to the final, only to lose in straight sets to Daniil Medvedev.
Back in competitive action for the first time since the US Open, the 27-year-old aims to make a deeper run in Shanghai this year after his early upset loss to Roman Safiullin last year.
Tournament so far
Mattia Bellucci:
First round: vs. Billy Harris 6-3 6-4
Alexander Zverev:
First round: Bye
Head To Head
Both players are facing on the ATP Tour for the first time on Saturday, and the left-handed Italian hopes his technique poses problems for the higher-ranked opponent.
Zverev and Jannik Sinner have led the tour for wins this season, and the German entering this tournament with a 57-18 win-loss record dwarfs his 23-year-old opponent's 6-7 statistic.
We say: Zverev to win in two sets
While doubts linger about Zverev's health, the German's battling qualities and superior quality mean he should secure a two-set victory over Bellucci on his return to competitive action.
