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Match Details
Fixture: (15) Ben Shelton vs Kei Nishikori
Date: Wednesday, May 29
Tournament: French Open 2024
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Stade Roland Garros, Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Clay (Outdoor)
Prize Money: £53,478,000
Live Telecast: USA - NBC, Peacock, Tennis Channel & Bally Sports | UK - Eurosport & Discovery+ | Canada - TSN & RDS | India - Sony Network
Ben Shelton vs Kei Nishikori preview
Fifteenth seed Ben Shelton will take on Kei Nishikori in a blockbuster second-round clash at the 2024 French Open on Wednesday, May 29.
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Shelton entered the French capital with a 17-10 match record this year and the one title at the Houston Open where he overcame compatriot Frances Tiafoe 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
Despite starting the regular season well, Shelton has struggled to find the same form on the clay. He went down to Alexander Bublik in the third round of the Madrid Open and then at the same stage in Rome to Zhizhen Zhang. He didn't fare much better in Geneva, losing his opener to Flavio Cobolli despite winning the first set.
Nishikori played his first match in almost a year, with his last appearance coming at the Atlanta Open in July 2023. He's played just one match so far this year, at the Miami Open, which ended in a first-round 6-3, 6-4 loss to Sebastian Ofner.
The former World No. 4 kicked off his French Open campaign with a hard-fought win over Gabriel Diallo. Nishikori won the first two sets, but an incredible fightback from Diallo in sets 3 and 4 saw him level the match. Nishikori, however, came up trumps in a tightly contested last set to eventually seal a 7-5, 7-6 (3), 3-6, 1-6, 7-5.
Ben Shelton vs Kei Nishikori head-to-head
Ben Shelton and Kei Nishikori have not yet faced off on the ATP tour and hence their head-to-head is currently 0-0.
Ben Shelton vs Kei Nishikori odds
(Odds sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Kei Nishikori prediction
Ben Shelton walks into his second-round encounter at the 2024 French Open against Kei Nishikori with the upper hand purely, based on the fact that he has had more match practice recently. Neither player, however, thrives on the red clay and we could very likely be in for a thriller.
Shelton might have started the season well, but he has fizzed out ever since the start of the clay court swing. He's not been as effective on serve and has lacked consistency on both wings.
Nishikori, meanwhile, has played just two matches so far this season, and hence not much can be deliberated about his form. He showed incredible mental fortitude during his first-round encounter to close out the match in the decider after allowing a two-set lead to slip.
Both players will have to be at their best on serve and from the back of the court should they want to proceed. Coming to the net every once in a while could also help keep points short. The winner could ultimately boil down to who plays the bigger points better and holds their nerve in crunch situations.
Pick: Ben Shelton in four sets.
