US Open 2024: Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (13) Ben Shelton vs (20) Frances Tiafoe
Date: August 30, 2024
Tournament: US Open 2024
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, New York, U.S.
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $75,000,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN, RDS | India - Sony Network
Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe preview
Thirteenth seed Ben Shelton will face twentieth seed Frances Tiafoe in an All-American Clash in the third round of the US Open on Friday, August 30.
Shelton began his campaign in New York against former champion Dominic Thiem, who was competing in his final US Open. The young American delivered a routine performance from start to finish, securing a comfortable 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut awaited him in the second round. Both players began well on serve, but a break in favor of Shelton in the eighth game proved decisive as he went on to wrap up the opener with a blistering cross-court forehand winner.
It was a similar story in the second set, with Shelton once again getting the better of Agut's serve in the seventh game, this time without conceding a single point. He once again sealed the set with a scintillating cross-court forehand, with Agut attacking the net. A solitary break of serve was again the difference in the third set, which saw Shelton eventually wrap up a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.
Tiafoe, meanwhile, faced a much tougher challenge in his opener against compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic. He managed to overcome a valiant fightback in the third set, ultimately securing a 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory.
The 26-year-old began his second-round match against Alexander Shevchenko strongly, breaking the latter's serve in the opening game. Shevchenko, however, fought back with a break of his own in the fifth game, thanks to a blistering down-the-line backhand. Tiafoe eventually won the set with a break to love in the final game, following some impressive ball-striking.
The second set was one-sided, with Tiafoe outplaying a fatigued Shevchenko. He broke his serve twice en route to the set. Shevchenko was forced to retire while trailing 1-0 in the third set due to the intense 90-degree Fahrenheit heat in New York, giving Tiafoe a 6-4, 6-1, 1-0 victory.
Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head
Ben Shelton leads Frances Tiafoe 2-0 in their head-to-head, winning their previous encounter in three sets earlier this year at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships final. Their other encounter was incidentally in the quarterfinals of the US Open last year which Shelton won 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2.
Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe prediction
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe's third-round encounter promises to the a thrilling one given the rich vein of form both of them head into it in.
Shelton has been in scintillating form in the 'Big Apple' this year. He has been a dominant force on serve, remaining unbroken so far. In fact, he has faced only three break points and has hit 24 aces across his first two rounds. His powerful baseline game has resulted in nearly three times as many winners as unforced errors. Additionally, his willingness to approach the net has consistently worked to his advantage.
Tiafoe entered New York in a rich vein of form but faced a bumpy road in his opener. He did, however, look in much better form in his second-round encounter, dominating on serve as usual and improving his performance on the return. He won an impressive 54% of his return points and broke serve 5 times out of 11. Like Shelton, Tiafoe's net game has also been highly effective so far.
Shelton heads into this encounter the favorite given his record against Tiafoe, and the fact that he beat him at the same venue last year. He edges Tiafoe based on form at the event too, and continues to be an outside favorite for the crown this year.
Pick: Shelton in four sets.