Tommy Paul vs Ben Shelton: 2023 US Open - Preview & Prediction

| by Evita Mueller

An all-American clash awaits us in the fourth round of the 2023 US Open, and it's going to be a great one, though not the first time we see it.

Tommy Paul and Ben Shelton play prototypical American tennis with good serves and really attacking baseline play. What separates them from the rest of the US players is the power that they bring, as both hit it really hard, quite possibly too hard.

Both have done really well so far, as Paul downed Stefano Travaglia in four, Roman Safiullin in five, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in four. Shelton wasn't any worse, beating Pedro Cachin in four, advancing past Dominic Thiem after he retired, and then beating Aslan Karatsev in four sets.

The quarter-final final of the home slam is at stake, so expect a lot of fire from both players. Coincidentally, we saw something like that play out already this year. In January, Paul faced Shelton in the Australian Open quarter-final and proved better.

Head-to-head: 

The match was an exciting one but also one that came a bit too soon for Shelton. He was playing his first Grand Slam and already made the quarter-final. Paul was more experienced, and it showed, allowing him to win the match in four sets.

Even so, the match was relatively close and don't be surprised if we see more out of Shelton in New York. He's feeling really confident and has played on the ATP Tour for a while now.

2023 US Open ATP & WTA Prize Money & Points Overview
2023 US Open ATP & WTA Prize Money & Points Overview

Prediction:

So what might happen here? Well, it's tough to say because it's really tough to predict what Paul might do. We saw it best against Davidovich Fokina as he put forward amazing games but also poor ones. Generally, it's expected of him to win the match due to his experience.

Shelton has a lot of weapons and can play really well, but Paul has an equal amount and is even more willing to go for the crazy shot. Those get in when he's having his day, and then he's really tough to beat. Let's go with Paul once more.

Prediction: Tommy Paul to win in four sets.

To vote on the poll, go to the original article here.

Sabalenka 'Not Really Focusing' On No. 1 Ranking Chase At US Open
Sabalenka 'Not Really Focusing' On No. 1 Ranking Chase At US Open

Read the full article

Just in

Look at more articles