Ben Shelton got out of the gates without much fuss at the U.S. Open.
Shelton dismantled World No. 135 Ignacio Buse of Peru, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4, and only needed two hours and eight minutes to get the win.
Perhaps the most noteworthy part of the American’s stat line is that he only tallied five aces against Buse, which is the fewest of any match at a Grand Slam in his career.
Shelton is a massive favorite against Pablo Carreno Busta in Round 2 on Wednesday.
US Open: Shelton vs. Carreno Busta odds, prediction
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ben Shelton | -1200 |
| Pablo Carreno Busta | +700 |
Depending on how you look at it, Shelton’s lack of aces against Buse is either an encouraging sign or a worrisome one.
On one hand, you can worry that Shelton didn’t have his most important weapon firing against Buse.
But on the other, you can say it’s a great sign that he was able to dominate without his serve clicking.
Shelton was still dominant when he started with the ball, so it’s not like his serve completely abandoned him, but it was the former Florida Gator’s play at the net, where he won 26 of 33 points, that was the difference-maker.
There was very little doubt that Shelton would win this match going away, but the way he handled his business was an encouraging sign against another opponent that shouldn’t provide much resistance.
Carreno Busta, who was once ranked No. 10 in the world (albeit in 2017), is long past his salad days.
At his peak, the 34-year-old Spaniard was a relentless retriever and a defender who could hang around and frustrate big servers with the best of them.
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Those days are long gone.
It’s hard to envision Carreno Busta putting up much resistance against Shelton, especially with his all-around game seemingly improving with each passing tournament.
Shelton is 21-0 against unseeded players in Grand Slams in his career. He should make it 22-for-22 without any stress Wednesday.
The Play: Shelton -2.5 sets (-120, bet365)
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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.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
