Queen’s Club R2 previews and predictions: Tiafoe vs. Korda, Musetti vs. Shelton

It’s another jam-packed day at Queen’s Club, led by an all-American battle between Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Red-hot Italian Lorenzo Musetti will also be in action against newcomer Ben Shelton.

(4) Frances Tiafoe vs. Sebastian Korda

France Tiafoe’s star is on the rise. The American just won his second singles title of the 2023 season last week in Stuttgart, in a thriller of a three-set match against German Jan-Lennard Struff. Tiafoe’s first tournament win this year came on the clay courts of Houston. His recent success, including a run to the semifinals at the 2022 U.S. Open, launched Tiafoe into the top 10 for the first time this week.

Sebastian Korda started off the 2023 season in fantastic form. The young American made his way to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, but he was forced to retire with a wrist injury against Karen Khachanov. The wrist kept Korda sidelined for the first half of the season and he is only just now starting to find his form a bit again.

Wednesday will be the fifth meeting between Tiafoe and Korda. Tiafoe took the first three, but Korda won their latest encounter–a three-set showdown on the hard courts of Cincinnati last year. Both men are good grass-court players. Tiafoe has had more recent success, but the physical toll of playing all last week may soon catch up with the world No. 10.

Korda is still looking for his best tennis, but he got off to a good start this week with a straight-set win in the first round over Great Britain’s Dan Evans. Expect this to he a hard-fought affair, with Tiafoe just edging his compatriot.

Cheryl pick: Tiafoe in 3

Ricky pick: Korda in 3

(6) Lorenzo Musetti vs. Ben Shelton

It has been a banner spring for the young Italian Lorenzo Musetti. He had a series of good results during the clay-court swing and even won his first-ever grass court matches (two of them, anyway) last week in Stuttgart. Perhaps more impressively, he pushed eventual champion Tiafoe to the brink in their quarterfinal match. Musetti sits at a career-high 16th in the world.

Ben Shelton is brand new to professional grass-court tennis–quite literally. The American had never played an ATP-level grass-court match in his young career before his first-round win over countryman J.J. Wolf on Monday. And while Shelton’s game is largely untested on grass, it’s hardly surprising that he made a successful start. He has a big serve and powerful groundstrokes, but he also has good touch at the net. In short, his game is well-suited to the abbreviated grass-court season.

With Musetti on a roll, I’m giving the edge to the Italian in this one–but don’t be surprised if Shelton gives him a run for it.

Cheryl pick: Musetti in 3

Ricky pick: Shelton in 3