Surprise Shelton vs. ‘Stef’?
Stefanos Tsitsipas can win after all! Earlier this month, he wrapped up the tenth ATP title of his career in Los Cabos, Mexico. With this, the Greek ended a drought of 13 months without a title success.
The 25-year-old had not triumphed since June of the previous year and a triumph on the grass of the Mallorca Championships and instead had to accept no less than five defeats in the finals. This included last year’s final in Cincinnati, which he lost to Croatia’s Borna Coric.
Now it’s time for Stefanos Tsitsipas against Ben Shelton in the 2nd round of the current edition of the Western & Southern Open. Betbase has the tip and odds ready! The opponent of the number 4 seed in Cincinnati will start the match as an underdog.
In contrast to “Stef”, he has not won a single title on the ATP Tour and is 36 places lower in the world rankings. Does the Tsitsipas vs. Shelton betting tip also go in the direction of the favourite?
Stefanos Tsitsipas – Statistics & current form
Tsitsipas looks back on a mixed 2023 season so far. Although he finally won another ATP tournament recently, the clay and grass court seasons were disappointing for him.
Moreover, the triumph in Cabo San Lucas only came at a tournament in the ATP 250 category and thus at the lowest level of quality on the tour. On top of that, the Greek was already acting shakily again after his victory.
Tsitsipas still has no tailwind from recent title win
Whoever thought Tsitsipas had gained new confidence was disappointed with the defeat in his first appearance in the following tournament in Toronto. Against the Frenchman Gael Monfils, who is now only 211th in the world rankings, Tsitsipas was even clearly defeated in two sets.
At the current tournament, however, he is now hoping that the upswing will perhaps only be somewhat delayed. In Cincinnati, at least last year, he felt at home when he made it through to the final.
In view of his still shaky condition in the battle between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ben Shelton, the prediction and odds that his US opponent will win at least one set are also worth a recommendation.
Ben Shelton – Statistics & current form
Shelton reached the third round in Cincinnati last year, knocking out current world number 4 Casper Ruud along the way. At the current edition of the Masters in Ohio, he beat compatriot Christopher Eubanks in the first round.
An opponent who still won against Tsitsipas at Wimbledon this year and is basically in form in 2023, as he secured an ATP title for the first time in his career in Mallorca, for example! Shelton, however, wrestled him down with nerves in the last round.
After narrowly losing the first set 5:7, the left-hander did not let himself be ruffled and went on to win the next two rounds. He used two out of three break points and fended off five out of six!
At least a tiebreak?
In addition, he looked assured in his forays to the net – nearly 80 per cent of those attacks Shelton completed with a point win against his good friend, with whom he will compete in the doubles competition in Cincinnati. Against this background, the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ben Shelton is also a good bet for more than one tiebreak.
Furthermore, the tennis genes are particularly well developed in him: Not only his father Bryan Shelton, who also coaches him, was a former professional, but also his uncle Todd Witsken, who reached 43rd place in the world rankings at the peak of his career.
Stefanos Tsitsipas – Ben Shelton Direct Comparison / H2H-Balance
The duel between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ben Shelton is making its debut and the odds are pointing to a win for the Greek.
Stefanos Tsitsipas – Ben Shelton Tip
The Greek favourite has already reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters in 2022 and has a double-digit haul of ATP titles since his recent triumph in Los Cabos. On the other hand, he has not played consistently in the recent past.
It took him more than a year before he could add another tournament victory to his record. His opponent has yet to win an ATP title and did not make it past the 3rd round in Cincinnati last year, but this performance was still respectable for the youngster.
After all, he took part in a Masters for the first time in his career and eliminated Sonego and Ruud, the absolute top players on the tour, before his elimination. In addition, he has since climbed from 229th place in the world rankings to his current 44th place and has won three tournaments on the Challenger Tour.
On top of that, he is well on his way to participating in the Next Generation ATP Finals at the end of the season for the first time in 2023. The tournament brings together the best eight under-21 players on the ATP Tour.
For the match between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Ben Shelton, betting odds of more than 22.5 games are therefore worth considering. Even though the Athenian is the favourite, the starting position does not suggest a walkover for him.
