Correction: this is a second-round match but Shelton's first match after a bye through the first round
ATP Tennis singles action will be alive and kicking for the next several days. There is an important Master Series 1000 event to be played in Shanghai (Rolex Shanghai Masters). Ben Shelton will face Jaume Munar at the tennis event this week. This will be a second-round match in the tournament. Tennis fans following from North America should expect a start time very late in the evening on Thursday night but it will be a Friday match in Shanghai, China. My Shelton vs Munar prediction is that the American will win this match, probably with some ease.
Shelton vs Munar Head-to-Head Series
These two players have never faced one another on the ATP Tour. Shelton is just 20 years old. There will be a lot of first-time matches for him coming up.
On short-term form, Shelton is clearly the better player. He was in the Laver Cup a short time ago, an event where he won a singles match over Arthurs Fils. Otherwise, Shelton has been idle since the 2023 US Open where he hung up the phone on five players before bumping into Novak Djokovic's dial tone.
The Draw: Right click/Open in New Tab for the 2023 Rolex Shanghai Masters Draw
Jaume Munar probably won't be hanging up on Shelton. Munar has never been ranked higher than 52nd in the world. Currently, he is the World No. 82. With a record of 14-17 so far this season, he simply has not won many big matches.
He entered three events in September and all of them were on the Challenger Tour circuit. He has recent losses to players ranked 166th, 96th, and 244th. Munar went out in the first round of the 2023 US Open -- the first round of the qualifying draw. Also, that result was a straight-set loss. You can see the enormous difference between Shelton and Munar right now.
Order of Play: Check match times here: times are subject to change
Shelton vs Munar Prediction: Shelton in a cakewalk
Shelton is only at -400 for this match on the moneyline (bet365). He could really be put at -2000 for true odds. Even if Shelton isn't up for the event for some reason, he might win this while playing below the standard we saw in Flushing. My recommendation is to take Shelton to win straight up. If you want to go for something, take UNDER 8.5 games in the first set at +300 (bet365).
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