“I’m excited again to be on the team this year” – Big-serving Ben Shelton made his Laver Cup debut last year in Vancouver. This year, he’s back again to be a part of this iconic event. He’s hungry to defend the Laver Cup title for Team World. After two days of play at the Laver Cup, Team World now leads Team Europe by 8-4. Ben Shelton will face Russian star, Daniil Medvedev in the second match. Both these players lost their first match. So, they’ll be keen to bounce back in the second! Are you ready for this blockbuster showdown in Berlin?

Ben Shelton vs Daniil Medvedev: Preview

Ben Shelton has played some good tennis this year and he also clinched a title earlier this year in Houston. However, he entered this tournament after a third-round defeat at the hands of his compatriot, Frances Tiafoe in the US Open. Even here things didn’t go as per his plans in the first match. He faced a disappointing loss at the hands of Team Europe’s Carlos Alcaraz. Ben Shelton previously stated, “We want to win bad“. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if he can make a strong comeback in the next match at the Laver Cup.

Daniil Medvedev on the other hand, has been one of the most unluckiest players in the Tour this year. He reached the finals of the AO and Indian Wells Master and also made several deep runs in his previous tournaments but he’s yet to win a title in 2024. Medvedev was defeated by Jannik Sinner in the QF of the US Open in a four-set thriller and then here, he faced defeat in the first singles match at the hands of Frances Tiafoe. ‘Big Foe’ defeated him by 3-6,6-4,10-5 in that match. Have Medvedev faced Shelton before in his career, though?

Shelton vs Medvedev: Head-to-Head

Well, the answer is no! So currently their head-to-head scoreline is 0-0. On paper, Daniil Medvedev seems to have an edge over Ben Shelton, but we can’t rule out this 21-year-old gritty American completely!

Prediction: Medvedev to win in three sets

Daniil Medvedev’s defensive style of play will be put to some real test in front of this left-handed aggressive American! However, considering their experience, current ranking, and overall form in the 2024 season, we can expect the Russian to get an edge in this epic contest. Medvedev is currently ranked 5th in the world, whereas Ben Shelton is ranked 17th in the men’s singles list. Shelton has a win-loss record of 37-14 this season, while Medvedev has a record of 32-21 as of now.

Daniil Medvedev is more like a counterpuncher with a powerful first serve in his armory. He hits long, flat groundstrokes and often tends to wear down his opponents with lengthy baseline rallies. Ben Shelton on the other hand is known for his big serves and he’s well capable of creating a significant amount of kick in both first and second serves. Medvedev would perhaps have to stand back during his returns in order to blunt or at least neutralize Shelton’s biggest weapon. We saw Shelton struggling a bit in longer rallies in the previous match, so Medvedev will clearly have an edge in the rallies and he can also make full use of the slow court in his favor.

Apart from all these, Medvedev’s biggest strength is his ability to play consistently. He has one of the best backhands on the Tour, however, his forehands are comparatively weaker. On the hard courts, it’s a bit tough to rule out this Russian superstar!

Ben Shelton on the other hand, has powerful and consistent forehands and backhands. He loves moving to the net off his powerful groundstrokes to finish off the points. So, Medvedev needs to be a bit careful on this. We know, Shelton idolizes Roger Federer, but can he seal a victory in front of him against the former world number one? Looks a bit unlikely at the moment!