Atlanta Open 2024: Ben Shelton vs Shang Juncheng preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (1) Ben Shelton vs (Q) Shang Juncheng
Date: July 26, 2024
Tournament: Atlanta Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Atlantic Station, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $756,020
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN+
Ben Shelton vs Shang Juncheng preview
Top seed Ben Shelton will face off against Chinese qualifier Shang in the second round of the 2024 Atlanta Open. The winner of the match will face either David Goffin or eighth seed Max Purcell in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 event.
Shelton has had a moderate season so far this year, winning 23 out of 38 matches. He made it to multiple semifinals at the Dallas Open and the ASB Classic in the early part of the year. Before entering the Atlanta Open, the American competed at Wimbledon, where he reached the fourth round before losing to World No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
Being the top seed, Shelton got a bye to the second round of the Atlanta Open.
Shang Juncheng has a 12-10 record so in 2024, mostly playing the qualifiers and the challenger events. The Chinese player started the season by making it to the semifinals of the Hong Kong Open, losing to Andrey Rublev. His other impressive performance came at the Rothesay International, where he reached the quarter-final as a qualifier before losing to Taylor Fritz.
Shang defeated Liam Broady and J.J. Wolf in successive rounds to qualify for the main draw of the Atlanta Open. Here, he registered a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Wildcard Andres Martin in the first round.
Ben Shelton vs Shang Juncheng head-to-head
Shang has a 2-0 head-to-head lead over Shelton, with both of his wins coming in the United States. Their last encounter came in the opening round of the Citi Open, with the Chinese winning 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.
Ben Shelton vs Shang Juncheng odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Shang Juncheng prediction
Shelton's biggest strength is his big and fast serve. The American relies on his high-paced serves to keep the points short and on his terms. He has served 165 aces on hard courts this season, winning 86 percent of his service games while also clinching 74 percent of his points on his first serve.
Shang is a player who is yet to establish himself on the ATP Tour. His game is also dependent on the left-handed serve with which he can challenge Shelton's return. The pair met at the Atlanta Open last year, with Shang winning in straight sets.
Even though the head-to-head favors Shang, the current form and the experience of having played a Grand Slam semi-final, gives Shelton an advantage in this match.
Pick- Shelton to win in straight sets