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Match Details
Fixture: (21) Ben Shelton vs (16) Lorenzo Musetti
Date: January 18, 2025
Tournament: Australian Open 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (Outdoor)
Prize Money: A$ 96,500,000
Live Telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Sports & Sony LIV
Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Musetti preview
21st-seeded Ben Shelton is slated to face 16th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti for a place in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Australian Open. Shelton had just played a solitary match in the buildup to the Melbourne Major. He lost to Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 5-7 at the ASB Classic.
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So far at the Australian Open, Shelton has done well. He began by facing off against compatriot Brandon Nakashima in the first round. The match was a close affair as the first set went into a tiebreak. However, Shelton courtesy of his strong serve was able to take an early lead. The next two sets were intensely fought over as well, with the 21st seed winning 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5. In the next round, Shelton secured a tricky 6-3, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 win over Pablo Carreno Busta.
Lorenzo Musetti played two matches at the Hong Kong Open before coming to Melbourne. The Italian player won against Gabriel Diallo but lost in a three-set battle to Jaume Munar in the quarterfinal.
At the Australian Open, the 16th seed began with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over fellow countryman Matteo Arnaldi in the first round. In the next round, the Italian player won against a former Top 10 player Denis Shapovalov, winning against the Canadian 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6), 6-2.
Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Musetti head-to-head
Musetti has a 2-0 lead over Shelton in the head-to-head. The Italian player won the last encounter 6-4, 7-5 at the 2024 Miami Open.
Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Musetti odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Lorenzo Musetti prediction
During their Miami match last year, Musetti won 78 per cent of the serve points and 39 per cent of the return points. Meanwhile, Shelton won 61 per cent of the serve points and won 22 per cent of the points while returning. What was interesting, Musetti was able to penetrate the strong Shelton serve, winning 33 and 52 per cent of the first and second serve points respectively.
Shelton has a 6-2 record in Melbourne Park, coming into 2025 with a quarterfinal run in 2023 being his best showing. Meanwhile, Musetti only had one win in Melbourne before 2025 and this is the first time that the Italian has reached the third round at this Major. As for overall hard-court results, both players have one title each on the surface.
Musetto has been in good form in the last year, but most of his notable performances have come either on clay or grass. Given the upcoming match is on a hard court, Shelton will have the advantage.
Pick- Shelton to win in four sets
