Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Paris Masters match.
Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, stepping in for the withdrawn Jannik Sinner, will face Ben Shelton. With the support of his home crowd, Cazaux will attempt to leverage his powerful serve to overcome the challenge posed by the more experienced American. Despite being a lucky loser, the French player is prepared to put up a fight.
Arthur Cazaux
Cazaux, though less renowned, delivers strong performances indoors, with a serve reaching speeds of 204 km/h, posing a challenge even to seasoned players. Arthur excels by hitting up to 10 aces in indoor matches. While he has faced recent setbacks, his impressive serve and the support of the French audience provide Cazaux with opportunities even against a more illustrious opponent. This year, both of the Frenchman's matches have gone to three sets.
Ben Shelton
Shelton continues his successful run on indoor courts, winning six out of seven matches. Ben's game is built around his powerful first serve and robust forehand shots, which he aims to finish quickly by moving to the net. However, his weakness lies in receiving, especially against big servers, which could lead to a tense match against Cazaux. Shelton tends to engage in lengthy matches, having played a minimum of 22 games in six of his last seven indoor encounters.
Arthur Cazaux vs Ben Shelton Prediction
With local support, Cazaux is capable of providing Shelton with a tough challenge. Given both players' powerful serves and their relatively weaker returns, a long match is anticipated. Betting on the total over 21.5 appears to be a good option.
