Ben Shelton vs Roman Safiullin Prediction & Betting Tips - Brisbane International

Prediction published on 31/12/2023, 08:27  by Daniel Ngulu in Tennis Predictions

Third seed Ben Shelton will begin his Brisbane International tournament with a first-round battle against unseeded Roman Safiullin. The winner will then advance to play Alexei Popyrin for a place in the quarterfinals. Ben Shelton won the last time he faced off with Safiullin. This was last October on his way to the quarterfinals at the Shanghai Masters. This should therefore have him confident of starting things off here on a winning note. Shelton, despite his topsy-turvy form, had a strong 2023 season. He compiled a 28-26 record and won his maiden tour title when he triumphed in Tokyo. The American also made it to the semifinal of the US Open in an excellent second half of the year. Shelton registered 21 of his total wins on outdoor hard courts and finished the year ranked 17th in the world.

Roman Safiullin won the first meeting with Shelton which was in the final of the Chicago Challenger in 2022. He will be seeking to get back in the lead in this series. His strong finish to the last campaign will have him prepared. Safiullin rose from the qualifying rounds to the third round at the Paris Masters. On his way to his best-ever finish at the tournament, the Russian shocked heavy favourite and world number two Carlos Alcaraz. He won in straight sets in the second round to earn also the biggest win of his career. Safiullin made the final of the Chengdu Open to earn his first-ever tour final appearance. He finished the season with a career-high 39th place world ranking and compiled a 41-25 record.