Atlanta Open 2022: John Isner vs Ben Shelton preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) John Isner vs (WC) Ben Shelton
Date: July 28, 2022
Tournament: Atlanta Open 2022
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Atlanta, United States
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $708,530
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | Australia - beIN Sports
John Isner vs Ben Shelton preview
Following an opening-round bye, second seed John Isner will square off against Ben Shelton in the second round of the 2022 Atlanta Open on Thursday.
Isner notched up a few decent results on hardcourts earlier this year. At the ATP Cup, he didn't have the best start to the season, losing two of his group ties. His poor run of form continued Down Under as he lost in the first round of the Adelaide International and the Australian Open after that.
Isner then made it to the semifinals of the Dallas Open, where he lost to Reilly Opelka. He lost to Cameron Norrie in the second round of the Mexican Open, but reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells Open. He bowed out of the Miami Open in the second round.
Isner is the defending champion at the Atlanta Open and the most successful player in the history of the tournament, claiming six titles so far. He'll be aiming to lift yet another trophy at his favorite hunting ground.
Ben Shelton was granted a wildcard to compete in the Atlanta Open, thus making his debut on the ATP tour. He was up against qualifier Ramanathan Ramkumar in the first round. The teenager showed no signs of nerves and started the match with a bang, breaking his opponent's serve in the very first game. After a service hold of his own, he led 2-0.
There's nothing like the first time.
19-year-old NCAA champion Ben Shelton earns his first Tour-level win in Atlanta! https://t.co/ugX02trEY0
Shelton didn't let go of his lead and won the last three games of the set to take the opener. He jumped to a 3-1 lead in the second set, but his experienced opponent fought his way back into the match and leveled the score. But the young American wasn't to be denied his moment under the sun as he won the last three games of the match to win 6-2, 7-5 and earn his maiden victory on the ATP tour.
John Isner vs Ben Shelton head-to-head
The two have not crossed paths on the tour prior to this, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
John Isner vs Ben Shelton odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
John Isner vs Ben Shelton prediction
Shelton has been touted as a promising young talent for quite some time and he certainly didn't disappoint on his debut in Atlanta. The teenager played with the maturity of a seasoned veteran, but now faces a major hurdle in the form of Isner, the defending champion.
Shelton's got a pretty good serve and being a left-hander only accentuates it. His kick serve is turning out to be quite the weapon. In his first-round match here, he hammered 10 aces and won 76% of his first serve points. He also saved seven of the eight break points he faced, displaying some brilliant mental fortitude in the process.
But Shelton faces one of the best servers on the tour next. Isner's massive serve has kept him in contention throughout the years. He leads the tour when it comes to the ace count and service games won this season. The teenager will need to figure out a way to deal with the veteran's booming serve.
Isner's movement has declined a fair bit recently, so if the youngster is able to prolong the rallies and move him around, he might be able to turn the tide in his favor. Not only is Isner the defending champion, he has also won the title in Atlanta six times. He certainly knows a thing or two about winning here.
Shelton's a talented kid and will have his chances in the future, but for now Isner is likely to commence his title defense with a victory.
Pick: John Isner to win in straight sets.