After his exploits in the US Open last year, where he reached the semifinals, much was expected out of Ben Shelton in 2024. However, he hasn’t shown the spark that he displayed last year as of yet this year. Shelton has failed to dig deep in the big tournaments, with semifinal appearances being the best that he could achieve so far. However, the young American is hoping for a revival in Miami.

The tennis sensation has reached the third round of the 2024 Miami Open and now faces an uphill task next as he takes on Lorenzo Musetti of Italy. Let’s find out how the odds stack up for the two in this thrilling battle.

Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Musetti: Preview

In his first major outing since the US Open, Ben Shelton had a disappointing run at the Australian Open earlier this year. He went down fighting against Adrian Mannarino in the third round of the tournament. Further, in the recently concluded Indian Wells Masters, Shelton bowed out of the tournament in the round of 16. Looking to get over his inconsistent run, Shelton will look to dig deep in Miami.

Like Ben Shelton, Musetti too has had a forgettable year so far. While he reached the second round of the Australian Open, a quarterfinal appearance is the best result that he has been able to achieve in 2024. Additionally, Musetti entered the Miami Open on the back of early defeats in Dubai and Indian Wells. Thus, both Shelton and Musetti will look to overcome their poor form when they face each other.

Shelton vs Musetti: Head-to-Head

Although still in the early stages of their tennis careers, Musetti and Shelton have faced off against each other once before. Their match took place last year at the Cinch Championships in London. In the grass-court event there, Musetti got the better of Shelton in three sets. Given their ranking and head-to-head score, it promises to be an unpredictable clash between Shelton and Musetti.

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Prediction: Shelton to narrowly edge Musetti in a see-saw battle

Despite Musetti getting the better of Shelton last year, the latter will have a home crowd backing him during the match. As a result, Shelton will be pumped up to perform better and one up his Italian opponent. It’s expected to be a close contest, with Shelton potentially winning it in three sets. Their match will take place later today.