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Match Details
Fixture: (8) Ben Shelton vs Arthur Fils
Date: September 29, 2024
Tournament: Japan Open 2024
Round: Quarterfinal
Venue: Ariake Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan
Category: ATP 500
Surface: Hard
Prize Money: $1,818,380
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Sky Sports | Canada - TSN
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Fils preview
Defending champion Ben Shelton will face Arthur Fils in the quarterfinals of the Japan Open 2024.
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Shelton kicked off his title defense with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 comeback win over compatriot Reilly Opelka. He was up against World No. 40 Mariano Navone in the second round.
Shelton got broken in the very first game of the match, though he broke back immediately to stay on level terms. Both tried to gain the upper hand once again, and it was the American who was successful in his endeavors. He broke his opponent's serve in the 10th game to take the set.
The defending champion was off to a great start in the second set as he quickly went 3-0 up. It was only a matter of preserving his early lead, and he did just that to register a 6-4, 6-3 win.
Fils toppled top seed Taylor Fritz in the first round as he beat him 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. He took on former Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini for a spot in the last eight. The young Frenchman overcame a break deficit in the opening set to get back on level terms.
Fils then held a set point at 6-5 on Berrettini's serve but couldn't close it out. It proved to be a costly miss as the latter edged him out to claim the set in the ensuing tie-break. Unfortunately, the Italian sustained an injury after that and chose to retire and sent the 20-year-old into the last eight.
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Fils head-to-head
Shelton leads Fils 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at last year's Laver Cup in straight sets.
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Fils odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Arthur Fils prediction
After a tough opener against Opelka, Shelton wasn't troubled by Navone in the previous round. He won 78 percent of his first serve points, and hit 17 winners, and his unforced error count stood at 30.
Fils scored an impressive win over Fritz, who was the runner-up at the US Open a couple of weeks ago, in the first round. While Berrettini's mid-match retirement pushed him over the finish line, he gave the Italian a good fight until then.
Shelton has a 5-11 record against top 30 players this season, and has gone 3-8 against them on hardcourts. Fils, meanwhile, has a 7-7 record against players in the same range, with a 2-4 record against them on hardcourts.
They have struggled a fair bit against their fellow top players. Both of them have a flair for shotmaking, and are aided by some strong serving as well. This contest could swing either way, though Shelton's prior win over Fils tips the scales in his favor.
Pick: Ben Shelton to win in three sets.
