'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match Details
Fixture: Ben Shelton (1) vs Jakub Mensik
Date: January 8, 2025
Tournament: ASB Classic 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 16)
Venue: ASB Tennis Centre, Auckland, New Zealand
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor Hardcourt
Prize money: $680,140
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports
Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik Preview
Top seed Ben Shelton will take on the Czech teenager Jakub Mensik in his first match of the season in Auckland on Wednesday, January 8, after getting a bye in the first round.
Trending
The American would be hoping to go to Melbourne with some confidence, as he dropped out of the top 20 after losing in the second round of the Paris Masters. He also suffered a disappointing loss against Thanasi Kokkinakis in the Davis Cup Finals, his last event in 2024.
Meanwhile, Jakub Mensik played his first event of the season in Brisbane last week, where he defeated Mikhail Kukushkin and Dusan Lajovic before losing to the 19-year-old Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 5-7, 6-7(5).
Mensik was going to face Alexandre Muller in the first round of Auckland, but the latter withdrew after winning the ATP Hong Kong title last week, which meant that the Czech teenager faced lucky loser Pablo Carreno Busta instead.
Mensik took the first set 6-2 before losing the second set 4-6 against the Spaniard. He then won the deciding set 7-5 to set up a second-round clash against Ben Shelton.
Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik head-to-head
The only previous meeting between Ben Shelton and Jakub Mensik was in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters in 2024, where the former dropped the first set before coming back to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik odds
Odds will be updated once available.
Ben Shelton vs Jakub Mensik prediction
Ben Shelton reached the semifinal at Auckland last year so he knows the place and the courts. Even though the American did not end the 2024 season on a high note, he still holds more experience compared to his Czech opponent as this is the third consecutive year he is playing the ASB Classic event.
Shelton also defeated Carlos Alcaraz at the Madison Square Garden last month so it would not be a surprise if we saw him put up a good performance in his opening match of the season.
On the other hand, Mensik has not been consistent lately, losing all three matches at the Next Gen Finals, and his performances in Brisbane and Auckland were not too convincing.
Pick: Ben Shelton to win in three sets
