Ben Shelton is back to playing regular tennis after his amazing US Open run, and he's facing a really tricky opponent at the 2023 Shanghai Masters.
Shelton last played in the Laver Cup, where he helped Team World win the trophy against Team Europe. He featured prominently in that win, winning a few points both in singles and doubles, demonstrating that his US Open form continued.
The American played the best tennis of his career to make the US Open semi-final, which was an incredible run. He'll try to keep winning in Shanghai in conditions that should suit his attacking style of play rather well. The opponent, Jaume Munar, is no expert in hard courts but does have a tricky style, which could give Shelton plenty of trouble.
Head-to-head:
Shelton and Munar never played against each other on the ATP Tour, which is not a surprise, but it will be a really interesting matchup. On paper, Shelton should struggle a little bit against Munar, who will try to extend rallies and wait for his chance to counterattack.
Prediction:
That sort of play gave Munar a really easy win in the previous round, as his opponent never found a proper way of winning points against him. Shelton should not have that problem because his serve should give him plenty of points, though expect Munar to find some solutions at times as well.
The problem for Munar mostly should be the overwhelming power that Shelton will bring to the matchup. He can hit amazing shots from both the forehand and backhand, especially if he gets plenty of short balls, which is expected.
The win condition will be to keep the unforced errors low, and if he does that then he should be good to go. He's favoured, but don't expect an easy win here.
Prediction: Ben Shelton to win in two sets.
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