Pick of the Day: Ben Shelton vs. Sebastian Korda, Shanghai

A spot in the semifinals of the Rolex Shanghai Masters will be on the line in an all-American clash between Sebastian Korda and Ben Shelton. Both players have been playing some great tennis this week, with Korda earning wins over Daniil Medvedev and Francisco Cerundolo, and Shelton getting by Roman Safiullin and Jannik Sinner. We should be in for a treat here, as both players are in great form right now. But at the same time, I’m struggling to come up with many reasons that this one shouldn’t go Shelton’s way.

Korda probably has a more complete all-around game than Shelton right now, but he’s still a player that occasionally loses the plot on court. Korda has looked sturdy mentally throughout this week, but he is not immune to completely missing the range on his forehand. It happened a bit in Zhuhai, and I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens against Shelton, who can get under his opponents' skin with his infectious energy. And for a quiet, calm player like Korda, I’d say it’s even more likely it gets to him.

Korda is also a player that can struggle a bit when he’s under constant pressure on his own serve. Shelton, already one of the best servers on the ATP Tour, will make Korda feel like there’s no margin for error when it’s his turn to serve. Even a small slip-up from Korda could see Shelton break through.

Shelton’s raw power from the forehand side will be the most important skill on the court in this match. Korda is a bit better when it comes to point construction, but he can also be a little passive from the baseline. Shelton is going to put his front foot forward, and really make Korda dig in. And I think that will end with Shelton moving on to the semifinals—and continuing to shine in big tournaments.

Bet: Shelton To Win (-110)