“For me, I got here early. I put in a lot of work the last seven days. Happy to see some of it pay off today,” Ben Shelton said after securing a win in his first match of the 2025 Indian Wells Open campaign. He will now be facing Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the next round. The former world number 8 has yet to find his rhythm this season. Can he withstand Ben Shelton’s power-packed game in the epic R32 clash? Time will tell! Even Shelton has struggled a bit after his incredible SF run at the AO this year. So, the stage is set for a cracking third-round battle!

Ben Shelton vs Karen Khachanov: Preview

Ben Shelton took no time in sealing the deal by a 6-3,6-2 in his previous match against Argentina’s Mariano Navone. His 150 mph serve against the Argentinian in that R64 clash has now become the talk of the town in the tennis world. Can we expect a similar sort of dominance from Shelton in his match against Khachanov?

Well, despite having a horrid start to his season, Khachanov did manage to secure a hard-fought victory against Jakub Mensik (CZE) in the previous round. He defeated the Czech by 3-6,6-0,6-3.

Shelton vs Khachanov: Head-to-Head

Ben Shelton and Karen Khachanov have never crossed paths in their careers so far. So, currently, their head-to-head record is 0-0. Who has the edge in this clash between two big ball-strikers?

Prediction: Shelton will win this match in three sets

Karen Khachanov reached the quarterfinals of the BNP Paribas Open in 2019, while Ben Shelton’s best record in this tournament was reaching the fourth round in 2024. However, if we take a look at their performances this season, Shelton (12) has a win-loss record of 8-5, while for Khachanov (23), it’s just 4-5 at the moment. Home conditions will also favor the American! Looking at all these aspects, Shelton might have the upper hand going into this match.

As far as their playing styles are concerned, Karen Khachanov’s game is mainly based on the first stroke off both serve and the return. He loves hitting big shots and has a strong forehand in his armory. Apart from that, his incredible height also helps him hit down on the ball and go for a flat-point ender whenever he gets an opportunity. However, Khachanov’s biggest weakness is his backhand.

Ben Shelton, on the other hand, loves playing an aggressive brand of tennis. He also has big serves in his armory and has already hit 104 aces this season. Other than that, he is also quite consistent and powerful on both the forehand and backhand sides.

Shelton loves coming to the net after hitting his powerful groundstrokes to finish the points off. He is very formidable on the fast surfaces, and with the introduction of the new surfaces at the Indian Wells, we expect Shelton to get a massive advantage. The prediction is for Ben Shelton to win this match in a three-setter.