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Match Details
Fixture: (11) Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open 2025
Date: March 8, 2025
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: Indian Wells Tennis Garden, California, United States
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize Money: $9,693,540
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN | India - Tennis Channel+
Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone preview
11th-seeded Ben Shelton will face Argentina's Mariano Navone in the second round of the 2025 Indian Wells Masters on Saturday (March 8).
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Shelton has put together a respectable season on the ATP Tour this year, winning seven of his 11 matches so far. The highlights of his 2025 campaign till date came at the Australian Open, where he reached his second Grand Slam semifinal.
Although the American slowed down following his Melbourne run, he achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 12 earlier this week. Having received a first-round Bye in Indian Wells, the 22-year-old will have his work cut out against World No. 63 Mariano Navone.
Before arriving in Indian Wells, the Argentine had also lost 10 of his last 13 matches on hardcourts - a rough patch that went all the way back to last year's Japan Open. However, the 24-year-old enjoyed a reversal of fortunes at the 1000-level event in Palm Springs on Friday as he downed the in-form Learner Tien 7-5, 6-4 to reach the second round.
Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone head-to-head
Shelton leads Navone 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings on the ATP Tour. The American beat the Argentine in their lone encounter at last year's 500-level event in Tokyo.
Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone odds
All bets sourced from BetMGM.
Ben Shelton vs Mariano Navone prediction
Shelton has been playing with increasing conviction lately. The 22-year-old has been serving big, following it up with huge groundstrokes of both wings. The American's biggest weapon this year has been his explosive strength, which allows him to unload on running forehands and smashes at the net.
Navone, meanwhile, isn't as aggressive as the World No. 12 but possesses a dependable down-the-line backhand. The 24-year-old also hits his shots with good margin - a tactic that will come in handy to him on the slow, high-bouncing hardcourts in Indian Wells.
While Shelton did reach the Round-of-16 stage at the 2024 edition of the tournament, he is currently less used to the new surface relative to Navone. In that context, the Argentine claycourt specialist might just sneak up an upset over his higher-ranked opponent on Saturday.
Pick: Navone to win in three sets.
