LiontipsOpelka vs Shelton: Predictions and Betting Tips for the ATP Tokyo Match on September 26, 2024
Command Analysis
Current Form
Opelka has been struggling to regain his competitive form on the tour. Following his injury, the American's performance has significantly declined. On grass, he managed to showcase decent play thanks to his serve, but he has faced difficulties on hard courts. His two victories on this surface were achieved last summer, and recently he has encountered a series of losses.
Last week, Opelka failed to qualify for the main draw of the tournament in Hangzhou, losing in the qualifiers to Denis Yevseyev.
Professional Qualities
It is well-known that Opelka possesses one of the strongest serves on the tour. This skill once catapulted him to the rank of the 17th best player in the world. However, he is currently far from his optimal playing condition and is making too many unforced errors.
Current Tour Statistics
As of now, Opelka has secured seven wins out of 14 matches played. As mentioned earlier, his performance on hard courts has not been impressive. In terms of his ATP ranking, he currently sits at 306th place.
Betting Insights
In Opelka's last five matches, there has been an exchange of set wins. The American occasionally delivers powerful serves which allow him to secure at least one set.
Current Form
In Tokyo Shelton arrived from the Laver Cup where he competed in two matches. In his first match the American lost to Carlos Alcaraz but in the second he overcame Daniil Medvedev in three sets.
Overall Ben has performed well on outdoor hard courts, winning several matches in almost all recent tournaments on this surface.
Professional Qualities
Shelton has a strong serve although it's slightly weaker than Opelka's. However Ben is more versatile in his baseline play. His creativity is impressive and he certainly outshines Reilly in this aspect.
Current Tour Stats
Shelton holds a positive win-loss record for the season at 33-21. This success has placed him at 17th in the world rankings.
Interesting Betting Insights
Shelton often participates in lengthy matches but in most of his recent battles he has been quick to finish, playing the minimum number of sets.
Trends
Bet Total Over 2.5 Sets
In 5 out of the last 6 matches, Opelka has had set exchanges
1.60Bet 1st Set: Total Over 9.5 Games
In 4 out of 5 of Shelton's recent matches, more than 9 games were played in the first set
1.75Tip and bets
Opelka is likely to maintain a positive spread. He possesses a powerful serve that is challenging for any tennis player to return. Considering Shelton won their previous encounter by a margin of two games, we expect a similar outcome this time. We recommend backing the underdog.
Our prediction is Opelka with a spread of (+2.5) games at 1.80
Total Bet
Matches involving these players usually show a higher likelihood of a high-total outcome. Both opponents have strong serves, so we don't anticipate many breaks during the match.
Prediction — total over 23.5 games at 1.77
Tiebreak Bet
It is likely that at least one tiebreak will occur in this match. In their previous head-to-head, there were two tiebreaks played.
Prediction — tiebreak - yes at 1.85
