ATP 500 Basel 1/8-Finals
Shapovalov – Bautista-Agut: 24.10.2024 16:30 CEST
H2H: 2-0
Denis Shapovalov has won four of his last five matches. Two weeks ago in Shanghai, Denis lost his second round match against Shelton in straight sets. Here in Basel, Denis won his opening match against Shang in straight sets. The Canadian served great throughout the whole match, offering and saving only one breakpoint. Denis is looking for a solid result this week to cement his top 100 status. In his comeback season, Shapovalov has reached only one quarterfinal result.
Roberto Bautista-Agut has won six straight matches. Last week in Antwerp, Roberto secured his first title since 2022. In the final, the Spaniard defeated Lehecka in straight sets and showed glimpses of his prime days. It was his biggest result of the season. Here in Basel, Roberto won his opening match against Casper Ruud in three tight sets. It was another solid performance from the Spaniard, who loves to play on the indoor courts. Last year in Basel, Agut lost his opening match against Van de Zandschulp in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, this should be a 50-50 match. We believe that Shapovalov will be the more rested player for this matchup. Roberto spent a lot of time on the court last week in Antwerp, and also here in his opening match. We believe that Agut will be exhausted and lose this match.
That being said, Shapovalov winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Denis Shapovalov winning @1.73 @bet365
Wawrinka – Shelton: 24.10.2024 16:00 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Stanislas Wawrinka has won four of his last five matches. Last week in Stockholm, Stan reached the semifinals, where he lost against Tommy Paul in straight sets. That was also his biggest result of the season. Here in Basel, Wawrinka won his opening match against Mannarino in three tight sets, after spending two hours on the court. This has been by far the worst season for Stan the Man. He is outside the top 150 in the rankings right now. Wawrinka is 39 years old, and his on-court movement is limited. Last year in Basel, Stanislas lost his opening match against Shevchenko in straight sets.
Ben Shelton has won three of his last five matches. Two weeks ago in Shanghai, Shelton reached the 1/8-Finals, when he lost against Sinner in straight tight sets as we predicted. Here in Basel, Ben had a favorable first round draw. Ben defeated Etcheverry in straight sets. Shelton served great as usual, and offered only one breakpoint. Last year around this time, Shelton played in Vienna, where he lost in the first round of the tournament.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Shelton is the favorite in this matchup, and we agree with that. Stanislas has played a lot of matches recently, and looked exhausted in the deciding set yesterday against Mannarino. On the other hand, Shelton has a perfect game for this fast surface, so we expect him to win this match easily.
That being said, Shelton winning in straight sets is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Ben Shelton winning 2-0 @2.00 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
