Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the ATP Cincinnati match.
Ben Shelton and Roberto Bautista Agut meet in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters. The American is riding a superb run on home soil, while the Spanish veteran has struggled in recent years to overcome the tour’s elite.
Ben Shelton
Shelton has won 10 of his last 11 hard-court matches, lifting the title in Toronto. Impressively, eight of those victories came against top-50 opponents. In Cincinnati, he made a confident start by dispatching Camilo Ugo Carabelli, who retired midway through the second set with Shelton leading 3:1. Even in the short time on court, the American delivered four aces, landed 73% of first serves, and won 84% of points behind it.
Roberto Bautista Agut
Bautista Agut, by contrast, has lost six of his last eight matches against top-10 opposition and is increasingly being beaten by wide margins. This season he has only three wins from nine matches on hard courts, failing to go beyond the second round at six consecutive tournaments before Cincinnati. In North America, the Spaniard has beaten Cameron Norrie (6:4, 6:3) and Daniel Altmaier (7:6, 7:6), needing two tie-breaks to get past the latter.
Ben Shelton vs Roberto Bautista Agut Prediction
Shelton has the firepower to keep the rallies short and prevent Bautista Agut from dragging the contest into a drawn-out battle. Given their head-to-head record, where the Spaniard has lost both meetings in straight sets, the outcome is likely to follow the same pattern here.
