A blockbuster matchup that would be worthy of a final this week will take place in the ASB Classic second round on Wednesday. Ben Shelton and Jakub Mensik are going head-to-head for the second time in their careers in Auckland, where Mensik hopes to avenge a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 loss last spring in Indian Wells.
The 19-year-old Czech is off to a stellar start to his 2025 campaign. He got three matches under his belt in December at the NextGen ATP Finals, and although he was mostly unsuccessful in Jeddah it looks like it prepared him well for this season. Mensik reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane this past week (lost to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard) and opened in Auckland with a 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 victory over lucky loser Pablo Carreno Busta on Tuesday.
Shelton, on the other hand, did not play last week and earned a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed this week–so this is his first match of 2025. The American comes in at 21st in the rankings after compiling a decent 42-26 record last year. His only previous main-draw appearance in Auckland saw him advance to the semifinals in 2024, posting wins over Fabian Marozsan and Roberto Carballes Baena before losing to Taro Daniel 11-9 in a second-set tiebreaker.
It would not be surprising to see this rematch transpire similarly to their Indian Wells encounter, in which Shelton came back from a set down to prevail. The 22-year-old may be somewhat rusty having not played a in a while, but he will be extremely motivated to get some matches under his belt prior to the Australian Open. Mensik, on the other hand, has already gotten more than enough preparation for the season’s first Grand Slam–especially after needing three tight sets to get past Carreno Busta.
Look for Shelton to have the edge in a competitive, high-quality contest.
Pick: Shelton in 3
WWW?
Agree…Shelton in 3.