Two of the most exciting, raw-talented, and aggressive players in the world face off in the ATP Basel: Russian Andrey Rublev versus the USA's Ben Shelton. Coming into this matchup, both players have shown good form; Rublev is currently at 7th position in the world, while Shelton is 23rd. Get ready for a bunch of highly explosive baseline rallies coupled with sharp serving and tactical aggression. With Rublev's consistency and all-court prowess pitted against Shelton's rising star power and his booming serve, tennis fans are in for a mouth-watering duel on Swiss indoor hard courts.
This will be the first-ever meeting between Andrey Rublev and Ben Shelton, making their head-to-head record blank. This element of unfamiliarity might actually be a plus for Shelton as the young American's unpredictable style could get to Rublev early in the match. However, Rublev has a lot of experience on the ATP tour, which would suggest that he quickly adapts to Shelton's playstyle and finds a way to counter his serve and aggressive returns.
Grab Welcome BonusAndrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev has turned into one of the most consistent top-ten performers on the ATP Tour. He has power at the baseline with some fantastic covering of the court and an aggressive approach to the game. The Russian will surely enjoy indoor hard-court conditions in Basel: given his ability to dominate rallies with his forehand, an improved serve, and relentless pace often shown.
Andrey Rublev will most likely try to make Shelton stay in defense as much as possible with deep and powerful groundstrokes, particularly off his forehand wing. Rublev usually maintains control of the game from behind the baseline. His ability to find sharp angles is going to be critical in moving Shelton around and neutralizing the American's serve. The Russian return game is bound to play an important part in this encounter as Shelton's first serve is his big artillery. The effective return stats of Rublev - 66% on second serve returns in his last match-suggest he should be well-equipped in dealing with the power of Shelton.
Ben Shelton
On the other side of the net, Ben Shelton has had a breakthrough year that has impressed many with his high-velocity serve and fearless shot-making. Shelton climbed the ATP rankings in quick time and proved his mettle against higher-ranked players. His recent victory against Wawrinka was a highlight of the growing maturity and confidence of Shelton on the big stage. But a lack of experience at this level may prove pivotal against Rublev, who has been a mainstay of the top 10 for years.
With Rublev's consistency and tactical maturity giving him the edge, Shelton brings a dangerous wildcard with his explosive serve and ability to hit winners from all parts of the court.
Ben Shelton's game plan against him will revolve around aggressive serving and early ball striking. His capability of holding his first serve consistently will again be in play, where 83% points won on first serve against Wawrinka were in his favor. Shelton shall also have to be inside the baseline, go for his shots, trying to keep the rallies short and not let things get into a long-type exchange where Rublev's consistency could outpour him. Another possible tactical wrinkle could be the net play of Shelton, for the simple fact that forcing Rublev out of his rhythm with surprise serve-and-volley tactics might disturb the Russian's flow.
Shelton will look to his strong serve and fast points to deny Rublev any rhythm.
Expert Betting Tips
This is an intriguing match in terms of styles. Andrey Rublev will come into the contest as a favorite with his complete baseline game and experience at the highest level. Form in recent matches has been good, and Rublev produced a strong serve. He also showed real improvement with his second-serve returns. His ability to convert break points to advantage and save the key moments when under pressure-100% break points saved in his last match-may give him an extra mental edge, particularly against a relatively inexperienced opponent like Shelton.
What will secure a good showing for Ben Shelton will be his ability to dominate with his first serve, as pinpointed by the 95% points won on second serve in his last match. In the return game, especially against such a strong server like Rublev, he might face some problems. His 14% first-serve return points won against Wawrinka did show a certain weakness which Rublev might look to exploit. Additionally, Shelton does not have the experience of playing big points on the ATP tour to sustain this level of performance, something that could find him vulnerable to Rublev's more mature and consistent way of play.
Although Shelton can use big firepower to win a set, it is the consistency of Rublev and his ability to grind through longer rallies that should see him prevail in the key moments.
- Andrey Rublev Wins @ 1.727 Odds
- Under 25.5 Games @ 1.81 Odds
- Andrey Rublev Wins 2-0 @ 3.00 Odds
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