Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the US Open match.
This one looks fairly one-sided on paper. Ben Shelton has climbed to a career-high world No.6 this August, while Pablo Carreño Busta has tumbled nearly 50 places in under a month.
Ben Shelton
Shelton’s opening match underlined the gulf in class — a routine straight-sets win over Peru’s top player, world No.135 Ignacio Buse (6:3, 6:2, 6:4). Carreño Busta, ranked just two spots lower at 137, also advanced, though his task was far lighter — he faced fellow Spaniard Pablo Llamas Ruiz, currently outside the top 350, and came through (7:6, 6:4, 6:2).
Pablo Carreño Busta
But their broader form tells the real story. Shelton’s North American swing has been superb: a semi-final run at the ATP 500 in Washington, a Masters 1000 title in Toronto, and a quarter-final in Cincinnati. Carreño Busta, by contrast, has struggled badly. He reached only the second round in Toronto, fell in Cincinnati qualifying, and was out by round two in Winston-Salem. His sharp ranking drop reflects last year’s points expiring — Pablo made the semi-finals at the US Open 12 months ago, but even then lost in the opening round of the main draw.
Ben Shelton vs Pablo Carreño Busta Prediction
Right now, there’s little to suggest Carreño Busta can trouble one of the hottest players on tour. Expect Shelton to progress swiftly — and we’re backing him to wrap it up inside the game total.
