Former Cincinnati Open champion Alexander Zverev will face Ben Shelton for a place in the semi-final of the ATP Masters 1000 event in 2024.
This is a brutal matchup for both players because it promises to be a sensational match between two players who fit nicely on this court. Both have very powerful serves, which will be at the center of this match, largely due to how quick the courts are.
This year's Cincinnati Open has been described as the fastest ever, and the eye test suggests that as well. The balls used are also lighter ones, so it's just a very fast-paced style of tennis.
It's wonderful for the American player, who likes to play very attacking tennis, especially as his serve creates so much pressure. It's not a problem for Zverev either because he's been playing far more aggressively this year than usual, and his serve can be very dangerous as well.
It powered him to the trophy in Cincinnati in 2021, so he can certainly do that again. The German player has been very impressive this year, with some consistent performances across all surfaces.
His new aggressive style has caught many people off guard, but it's worked well for him so far. Shelton hasn't been that impressive this year, but he's picked up form recently.
It wasn't the sort of jump many expected, but the American is proving this week that he will, once again, be a name to watch at the US Open, where similarly fast conditions are expected.
Head-to-head:
These two have never played against each other, which makes this an even more interesting matchup. While we might not know how both will approach the match, their play is not very flexible.
Shelton will be quite aggressive on serve and return. Whether he has a good day will largely depend on whether he can hit the ball as well as he wants to.
The 21-year-old can be streaky at times, and while he has played well so far this week, there is no guarantee that he will be able to do that against Zverev. Getting the racket on Zverev's serve will be tough enough, but if the American can get the ball into play, he will have a chance.
Zverev isn't a natural hitter, but he's done a solid job with it recently. Both will largely depend on the serve. If they both find it at a high level, fans in Ohio might see a couple of tie-break sets.
| Alexander Zverev | Ben Shelton | |
| 0 | H2H | 0 |
| 4 | Rank | 14 |
| 27 | Age | 21 |
| 51-15 | 2024 W/L | 30-18 |
| 445-192 | Career W/L | 59-45 |
Prediction:
Zverev's familiarity with the event, having been the champion before, makes him the favorite in this match. Shelton has yet to find that consistency, but his results in Cincinnati so far prove he can beat anyone.
Still, even though he's playing better than in the past few months, it's likely not on the level of his opponent, who has been one of the best players this year. He can still beat him, but Zverev does seem the one who is far more likely to win this match.
Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in two sets.
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