Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA
Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka: ATP Cincinnati – First round
Two Americans Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka will face off in the opening round of ATP Cincinnati.
Ben Shelton Profile
Ben Shelton has the highest ranking of his career being No. 14 in the world. The American is 27-18 for the season and 13-9 on hard surface.
Shelton is coming off a 6-4, 7-6 loss to Alexei Popyrin in the second round of Montreal. In the first one, he defeated Alexander Bublik.
Shelton won the title in Houston this season defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final. He also reached the semifinals in Auckland, Dallas and Washington.
This is his third appearance in Cincinnati and his best result was the round of 16 in 2022.
Reilly Opelka Profile
Former world No. 17 Reilly Opelka is currently 322nd in the rankings. The American is 5-3 for the season and 2-2 on hard.
Opelka missed the majority of the past two seasons with an injury and got back in action in Newport in July. He reached the semifinals there and then lost in the second round in Atlanta and Washington.
This will be his fifth appearance in Cincinnati and he has never gone past the second round.
Head-to-Head
This will be the first match between Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka.
Prediction and Conclusion
Ben Shelton has had a breakout season, reaching the highest ranking in his career, while Reilly Opelka is still searching for his form after returning to court after a long break. Opelka still has one of the best serves on the tour, and he will need to serve at a high level to stand any chance in this match. Shelton moves way better on the court and will be aggressive in this match, which will lead him to the next round.
