Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka – Japan Open Tokyo Tennis Prediction and Pick 9/26/24

Ben Shelton and Reilly Opelka will clash in the first round of the 2024 Japan Open in Tokyo. The match is scheduled for Thursday, September 26, 2024. Here’s our Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka prediction. This article will also contain a Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka pick.

Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka Preview

Ben Shelton was unsuccessful in helping Team World retain the Laver Cup title this past week as they narrowly lost out to Team Europe on the final day. Shelton contributed to three wins (two in doubles), but lost twice. Still, that should not have any negative impact on his performances at the Asian swing as he embarks on his first-ever title defense on the ATP Tour.

Shelton won his maiden Tour-level title at the Japan Open last year in dramatic circumstances, clawing his way back from a set and two breaks down in the semifinal against countryman Marcos Giron. He went on to beat Aslan Karatsev in the final and emulating his father Bryan, who was a champion on the ATP Tour in the past.

Shelton is 33-21 for the season and has won 10 of the last 16 matches on hard courts (including indoors).

Reilly Opelka is a good friend of Ben Shelton and was once ranked a career-high of No. 17 (which incidentally is Shelton’s current ATP ranking). However, Opelka is no longer a Top 20 player after spending the entirety of last year nursing a serious hip injury. He was forced to delay his comeback until July where he competed at the Newport Open in his first tournament of 2024. 

Opelka exceeded expectations at the grass-court event in Rhode Island as he reached the semifinal and immediately received a major rankings boost. however, he has since won just two matches from a possible eight on the ATP Tour and is ranked outside the Top 300.

Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka Head-To-Head

• Shelton defeated Opelka in two tie-breaks in their only career meeting at the 2024 Cincinnati Open.

Ben Shelton vs Reilly Opelka Prediction

We’re getting a serving feast here between two of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour. When they played each other in Cincinnati, there were a total of 25 aces and seven break points, with Shelton saving all five on his serve, and Opelka saving two. I’ll give the edge to Shelton again, but on the games handicap as there is decent value at -104. Opelka is still in the early stages of his comeback and will be the player under the most pressure in his service games.