A very interesting matchup will unfold at the 2024 Shanghai Masters as Denis Shapovalov will take on Ben Shelton in the second round of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.
Shapovalov has had a very unusual season, with some moments when he seemingly played the type of tennis everybody expects of him. He could serve well, smash his forehand, and generally cause a tremendous amount of damage from the baseline.
It’s a very welcome sight after his injury woes. Yet, he hasn't really accomplished many great results this year. He did not reach any finals or have spectacular runs that would suggest he’s on his way back to being a Top-10 player.
He'll have a chance to prove his worth against Shelton at the Shanghai Masters to secure that signature win, even though it will be challenging. The American was in action at the Laver Cup recently, showing a decent level.
He also played in Japan and again displayed a decent standard of play, even though he hasn't really been performing at his best. This makes him vulnerable, especially on the court in Shanghai.
An upset is not the most improbable result because, at his best, Shapovalov is very hard to play against, especially on a hard court that rewards attacking tennis, like the one in Shanghai.
The matches they’ve played so far have been interesting. Both took place this year, with the Wimbledon encounter being a five-set thriller that Shelton barely won. The other match happened in Washington and was infamous because Shapovalov was defaulted literally at the end of the match.
Shelton won the opening set in a tie-break, and there was another tie-break during which Shapovalov was defaulted. Generally, it's a close matchup, and fans in Shanghai should expect a close match as well.
Both players should be able to dominate with their serves and their super-aggressive baseline play. It’s likely a matchup that will see at least one, or maybe more, tie-breaks.
The details will certainly decide the outcome, and it should generally be on Shelton's racket. The matches they played before occurred at a time when his tennis was inconsistent. He didn’t play great tennis over the summer.
Only in recent weeks, starting with the US Open, has he begun to figure his game out again. He has been playing miles better in recent weeks than he was two months ago, and that will likely be crucial.
| Denis Shapovalov | Ben Shelton | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | H2H | 2 |
| 102 | Rank | 16 |
| 25 | Age | 21 |
| 19-20 | 2024 W/L | 35-22 |
| 200-169 | Career W/L | 64-49 |
As Shelton is by far the better player right now, he's likely to win the match. Shapovalov, at his best, is more than capable of making this an interesting match, but there is serious doubt about where he stands with his form right now.
He played in the qualifying at the event, so that should help him, but overall, the Canadian has looked less than impressive in recent weeks.
Prediction: Ben Shelton to win in two sets.