Ben Shelton’s game is big. It’s aggressive. And it is built for the bright lights at Grand Slams.
The American has played in 11 majors in his career, and he’s already been to a pair of semifinals and three quarterfinals.
This is Shelton’s third trip to Wimbledon, a place where he’s yet to make it out of the fourth round in two times of asking.
That’s nothing to be ashamed of, but it does pale in comparison to his work on the hard courts in Australia and in Flushing.
One might assume that Shelton’s playing style would be well-suited for the grass courts at the All England Club, yet this surface has been a stumbling block for him throughout his career. The former Florida Gator stands at an 8-11 record on grass, marking it as his least successful surface among the three used on the ATP Tour.
Shelton would have hoped for a more straightforward draw in Round 1 of Wimbledon this year, but he drew grass-court specialist Alex Bolt instead.
Oddsmakers are still siding with Shelton, making him a -345 favorite over the Aussie, but this is a trickier matchup than it looks.
Wimbledon: Shelton vs. Bolt pick
At 32, Bolt is among a select few players who excel in grass-court tennis. Hailing from South Australia, he has competed in 134 professional matches on grass, more than nearly every other competitor in this event, apart from Novak Djokovic and Dan Evans.
There’s no debate over Shelton’s raw talent, clearly positioning him as the favorite in this showdown. However, Bolt’s extensive experience on grass courts should significantly narrow the competitive gap.
Shelton will try to serve right through Bolt, but if he’s not able to do that, this match could turn into a roller coaster, and that favors the Australian.
Shelton, who cracked the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in his career right before Wimbledon, likely has too much talent for Bolt, but this could turn into a marathon.
If Bolt is able to drag Shelton into the deep end of the pool, all bets are off.
The Play: Over 4.5 sets (+275), Bolt to win in five sets (+850)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
