Paris Masters 2024: Ben Shelton vs Arthur Cazaux preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds, and pick
Match Details
Fixture: Ben Shelton vs (LL) Arthur Cazaux
Date: October 30, 2024
Tournament: Paris Masters 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Accor Arena, Paris, France
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Hard (Indoor)
Prize Money: $6,416,565
Live Telecast: US - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Cazaux preview
Ben Shelton will take on home favorite Arthur Cazaux in the second round of the Paris Masters 2024.
Shelton kicked off his campaign at the season's final Masters tournament against home hope Corentin Moutet. The American gained the upper hand with a lone break of serve in the first set, which proved to be enough for him to take a one-set lead.
The two were evenly matched in the second set and took it to a tie-break. Shelton had two match points on his own serve in it but Moutet held his nerve and dug himself out of that hole to snatch the set from his opponent. However, the American had the last laugh in the end and swept the final three games of the match to register a 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3 win.
Cazaux began his journey in the French capital with a 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over David Goffin in the first qualifying round. He then took on Fabio Fognini for a spot in the main draw and lost to him in three sets. However, he got a break after World No. 1 Jannik Sinner's withdrawal and took his place in the draw as a lucky loser, and even received a first-round bye.
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Cazaux head-to-head
This will be the first career meeting between the two on the ATP Tour, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Cazaux odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Cazaux prediction
Even though he initially let go of two match points against Moutet, Shelton recovered nicely to finish the job in three sets. He won 78 percent of his first serve points and hit 34 winners, which was exceeded by his unforced error count, which stood at 54.
Cazaux got a second lease of life thanks to Sinner's surprise withdrawal. This not only benefits him but also Shelton, who had already lost to the Italian thrice this year, including at this month's Shanghai Masters.
Cazaux has nine main draw wins to his name this year, with his best result being a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open. He hasn't posted back-to-back wins since then. The Frenchman also has a 1-3 record against top 20 players this season.
Shelton returned to form with a runner-up finish to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at last week's Swiss Indoors. The American has a 27-8 record against players ranked outside the top 50 this year, and has won his last eight matches against them. Having already knocked out one Frenchman, he will be expected to repeat the feat with a win over Cazaux as well.
Pick: Ben Shelton to win in straight sets.