Thrilling clash between two high-flyers

Ben Shelton and Roman Safiullin face off in a duel between two players currently in great form. For tips and odds on the match at the Shanghai Masters 2023, visit us! The US American reached the semi-finals of the US Open last month.

Never before had he advanced so far at a Grand Slam tournament, although his defeat in the semifinals against the eventual tournament winner Novak Djokovic was a clear 3-0. However, he has compensated for his stable condition in New York in the best possible way.

In the ongoing tournament in the Chinese port city, he did not show any weakness in his debut in the previous round, dispatching Spaniard Jaume Munar in two sets. However, he will now face a similarly strong opponent in the Russian, who in turn taught Alexander Zverev a lesson in the last round, humiliating the Hamburg player 6-3, 6-1.

Ben Shelton – Statistics & current form

Ben Shelton entered the US Open for the third time this year and after a previous qualifying and first round exit, he marched through to the top four this time. The year 2023 can be called his breakthrough not least because of this success.

The professional from Atlanta had already reached at least the quarter-finals at the Australian Open. The left-hander still does not have a title on the ATP Tour, but in view of his development, such a sense of achievement will not be long in coming.

Shelton without problems in the last round

In Shanghai, as a seeded player, he was initially free of play. In his debut in the last round against the Iberian Munar, the youngster proved that he is still in a strong shape.

Shelton only allowed his opponent three break chances in the match and managed to fend them off. He also recorded twice as many direct points and two thirds of his attacks at the net were successful.

At least a tiebreak?

With his very solid service of late and the fact that he is now up against a player with a similarly strong serve, betting on at least a tiebreak in the duel between Ben Shelton and Roman Safiullin is also worth considering. In what is sure to be a close match, it is to be expected that at least one round will only be decided in this form.

“Big Ben” also feels particularly comfortable on hard court: the fact that he achieved his best Grand Slam results this year at the Australian Open and US Open was no coincidence. In addition, his three Challenger Tour victories to date have all been on this surface, which will now also be played on in Shanghai.

Roman Safiullin – Statistics & Current Form

Safiullin made short work of Alexander Zverev in the last round. The player from Hamburg did not stand a chance against the player from Podolsk and only won four games in total. Nevertheless, the Russian’s clear success must be put into perspective.

Zverev had previously been in poor health at the China Open in Beijing and still did not look fully fit when he appeared in Shanghai. Nevertheless, Safiullin once again proved that he is currently in top form. He had already reached the final of the recent tournament in Chengdu, which he only narrowly lost to the Hanseatic player.

Safiullin has yet to drop a set in Shanghai

Safiullin’s performance in the first round of the Shanghai Masters 2023 against Britain’s Andy Murray also fits into the picture. He also brought him to his knees in two sets. Physically, Safiullin also looks fresh because he did not compete in the recent China Open.

Like his opponent, he also likes to play on hard courts: his four tournament wins at Challenger level have all come on this surface! In the light of his currently particularly strong condition, the prediction of a three-set victory for the Russian in the duel between Ben Shelton and Roman Safiullin also seems worth considering.

Compared to the US-American, he seems to be even more effective these days, which is why at least a close win for him is in the offing. Quotes for the additional prediction are available, among others, at Betano.

Ben Shelton – Roman Safiullin Direct comparison / H2H balance

Shelton and Safiullin have only met once before: the match took place last year on hard court in Chicago. On that occasion, the Russian won 2-1 and all three rounds were close. Just how competitive the match was can be seen from the fact that the winner was only found after almost two and a half hours.

Ben Shelton – Roman Safiullin Tip

For the clash between Ben Shelton and Roman Safiullin, the three-set betting is the best option. Both players have been very stable lately. In the eyes of the betting community, the role of favourite can still be assigned to the currently extra-strong Russian, but only in a small way.

A 2:0 by the Zverev conqueror is therefore not to be expected. In contrast to the 20-year-old US American, who is now playing his first tournament after the US Open, Safiullin has already been successful in China for a long time.

He has already reached an ATP final in Chengdu for the first time in his career. The prediction is supported by a look at the only previous duel from last year. Here, Safiullin also won in three rounds. Now we can expect another hard-fought match between the two up-and-coming professionals