American Ben Shelton will kick off his 2024 Basel bid against Tomas Martin Etcheverry on Tuesday afternoon, while Canadian wild card Denis Shapovalov battles a red-hot Jerry Shang in an all-lefty matchup.
(6) Ben Shelton vs. Tomas Martin Etcheverry
American Ben Shelton will have a familiar foe as his first opponent in Basel. The world No. 23 has played Tomas Martin Etcheverry twice this season–in Houston on clay and again on the hard courts of Cincinnati. Shelton won both matches, but they were tight three-setters. Whether that continues to be the case remains to be seen. Shelton is the better player of the two, and he played well during the Asian swing–a sign that he is not suffering overly much from end-of-season fatigue.
Etcheverry has been less convincing, and he will be at a disadvantage playing on indoor hard courts. Shelton leans on his monster first serve heavily, and playing indoors means less interference by the elements on his ball toss. Look for Etcheverry to keep at least one of the sets close, but Shelton should come through this one in straight sets.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 2
Ricky pick: Shelton in 2
(WC) Denis Shapovalov vs. Jerry Shang
Former top-10 player Denis Shapovalov has endured a miserable season. The Canadian had one decent result in Washington D.C., where he made the quarterfinals but was defaulted from his match against Shelton after throwing his racket twice and swearing at a spectator. Otherwise it has been a season of disappointment for the world No. 95. He played a Challenger event this fall but lost in the second round to Belgian Alexander Blockx–ranked 249th in the world.
Jerry Shang, on the other hand, just won his first title in front of the home crowd in China. The 19-year-old sits at a career high of No. 47 in the world on his way up the rankings. He had a bit of a letdown in Beijing and Shanghai, but he has benefited from enough time to shake off the post-title hangover.
This should be a fairly straightforward win for Shang. The Chinese teenager is brimming with potential and will almost certainly know how to make the most of Shapovalov’s form inconsistencies.
Cheryl pick: Shang in 2
Ricky pick: Shang in 2
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