The Shanghai Masters are underway right now with some of the best names in the world coming head-to-head against each other. It is now Day 5 in Shanghai and the action-packed drama continues to unfold. Going into the third round, tournament favorite Ben Shelton will be looking to lock horns against Roman Safiullin to book a place in the all-important Round of 16.

Ben Shelton, who has been in the form of his life after making a semi-final appearance at the US Open and winning the Laver Cup, will keep the momentum going. On the other hand, Safiullin will also not let his title run go without giving a fight. So, the question remains: Who among the two will make it through?

Ben Shelton vs Roman Safiullin: Preview

Ben Shelton has become a name that many suggest to greatness in the near future. Fresh off his US Open success which saw him earn a semi-final spot, he managed to get his first-ever Laver Cup call. Ben did not fail to surprise everyone and helped Team World grab their second consecutive win over Team Europe.

With form being his side, he has been looking in great form recently. In his first match against the Spanish Jaume Munar, the American showed why he had come into the tournament as a favorite. Ben won the match with a score of 6-4, 6-4 and booked his spot in the next round.

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On the other hand, Roman Saifullin has written the stories at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. With two major turnarounds, he has silenced the critics and at the moment, it looks like he does not know no stopping. After defeating Andy Murray comfortably in the first round with a score of 6-3, 6-2, he went ahead with confidence in his pocket to face Alexander Zverev. What looked like a tight encounter was made very easy by Roman.

The Russian player, who is on a hot streak of form defeated the German player 6-3, 6-1 and surprised everyone. Fresh off his win, he would be looking to carry forward the momentum, grab the win yet again and secure his spot in the round of 16 of the tournament.

Shelton vs Safiullin: Head-to-head

Interestingly, this will be the first-ever head-to-head encounter between the two. But to many’s surprise, the two have played each other once. Back at the Oracle Challenger series in Chicago, the two played against each other in the finals. In a very tight match, it was Safiullin who got the victory.

After winning the first set, Shelton bounced back in the second set. However, it was not enough for him to face the wrath of Safiullin, who was determined to lay his hands on the victory. The final scoreline of the match ended 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 in favor of Safiullin.

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The match was played back in August last year. However, that match wasn’t counted as an official head-to-head match record. Thus, with both lying eyes on the win, it will now be interesting to see, who among them gets out on top.

Prediction: A three-setter victory for the American

Ben Shelton is in the form of his life. However, if he desires to grab a win, he would have to work hard to get it. After a sensational performance that saw him make his way into the semi-finals of the US Open winning the Laver Cup will provide him an extra source of motivation. The scales tip slightly in favor of Shelton at this point.

However, Roman Safiullin is also a tough opponent to deal with at the moment. After having defeated the likes of Andy Murray and Alexander Zverev, he is looking in red-hot form at the moment. His performance in the last two matches has stunned everyone. Thus, Ben Shelton would have to use some tips and tricks to get the win – possibly, in a three setter. What are your views on this? Who are you rooting for the win? Do let us know in the comments below!

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