Japan Open 2023: Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Ben Shelton vs (Q) Marcos Giron
Date: October 21, 2023
Tournament: Japan Open Tennis Championships 2023
Round: Semifinals
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard
Prize money: $2,013,940
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron preview
Ben Shelton will take on Marcos Giron in the semifinals of the Japan Open on Saturday.
Shelton started the ATP 500 event with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Taro Daniel. He then defeated Jordan Thompson 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 to book his place in the quarterfinals.
Here, the American faced fifth-seed Tommy Paul and made the first break of the match before his compatriot broke him back. The set went into a tiebreak, and Shelton won it 7-4 to take the lead in the match.
The 21-year-old made the only break of the second set in the eighth game before holding serve to register a 7-6(4), 6-3 win and reach the semifinals of the Japan Open.
Marcos Giron had to go through the qualifying rounds and beat two Japanese players, Kaichi Uchida and Yasutaka Uchiyama, to reach the main draw.
The American beat Yoshihito Nishioka 7-6(14), 4-6, 6-1 in the opening round before beating second seed Casper Ruud 6-3, 6-4 to book his place in the quarterfinals.
Here, he faced eighth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime and got off to the best possible start as he cruised to a 3-0 lead. The American went on to win the opening set 6-1.
Giron made the first break of the second set before Auger-Aliassime showed some resistance by breaking his back. However, the 30-year-old went on to take the second set to register a 6-1, 6-4 win and book his place in the semifinals in Tokyo.
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron head-to-head
Giron currently leads 1-o in the head-to-head between the two, having previously beaten Shelton 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of this season's Delray Beach Open.
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron odds
All odds are sourced from BETMGM.
Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron prediction
Shelton will enter the match as the heavy favorite to win considering his recent run of form, but Giron should not be written off as he came out on top the last time they locked horns.
Shelton has a very effective serve that has fetched him 32 aces so far in Tokyo. The American has won 128 out of 164 points (78%) on his first serve, but his second serve can be a tad shaky at times, with 16 double-faults to his name so far.
Shelton loves to play aggressively and will look to be on the front foot from the very beginning, trying to create pressure on his opponent with his powerful groundstrokes. The American's on-court movement and stamina will be crucial for him to come out on top.
Giron, like Shelton, also has a very good serve, with 25 aces to his name so far in the main draw in Tokyo. The American has won 108 out of 138 points on his first serve.
Giron was very good on Felix Auger-Aliassime's second serve in his last match, winning 18 out of 26 points.
Considering Shelton has served a few double-faults lately, the 30-year-old will look to exploit his compatriot's second serve. Giron will have to be at his very best and cannot afford too many errors if he is to beat the World No. 19.
While the 30-year-old has done well, Shelton might be a little too good for him, and the 21-year-old should be able to reach his maiden ATP singles final.
Pick: Shelton to win in straight sets.