Zhizhen Zhang vs Thiago Monteiro Prediction United Cup Tennis Picks 12/27/24

Zhizhen Zhang is China’s top-ranked player in the ATP rankings at World No. 45. Although this is a few spots down from his previous best mark of No. 31. Zhang is coming off a very mixed season where he lost more matches than those he won. He had a 27-29 record in 2024.

The 28-year-old is on a six-match losing run with his last match win dating back to September 2024 when he defeated Yunchaokete to make the Hangzhou final. In his last six defeats, Zhang has only able to win one set.

This is his second appearance at the United Cup. He won one singles match last year on debut.

Thiago Monteiro Preview

Thiago Monteiro is ranked 109th in the ATP rankings and had a much better season than Zhang albeit with most of his wins coming from Challenger level. Monteiro made the quarterfinals or better in six tournaments in the ATP’s second tier.

At the tour level, Monteiro made the last eight at his home tournament in Rio and the third and fourth rounds in Madrid and Rome, respectively, as a qualifier. Like Zhang, this is his second appearance at the mixed-gender team competition. He lost both of his singles matches last year.

Monteiro did not record a single win on an outdoor hard court in all of 2024.

Zhizhen Zhang vs Thiago Monteiro -To-Head Head

• Zhang leads Monteiro 1-0 in their head-to-head.

• Zhang won that match in straight sets in the round of 16 at the 2023 Italian Open in Rome.

• They will meet on a hard court for the first time.

Zhizhen Zhang vs Thiago Monteiro Prediction 

With Qinwen Zheng dropping out of the team for extended rest time, this almost feels like a must-win singles rubber for Team China. Zhizhen Zhang has established himself as a Top 50 player on the men’s tour. He’s a sharp ball striker and very versatile. He’s quick-footed, and his rally tolerance will outmatch that of Monteiro. I like Zhang's chances and more so because he can ill afford to lose here, which could very well see them lose the tie.