When Ben Shelton broke into the top 100 of the ATP rankings, American fans held skyrocketing expectations for him. His explosive serve and forehand make him a serious threat on any surface, especially grass. However, the lush green courts of Wimbledon reward experience as much as they do skills. The American has had to fight through his grasscourt matches this year, but he looks in good shape heading into 2nd round.

However, Shelton’s round two opponent is a forgotten hero, finding his way back into the top of men’s tennis. Lloyd Harris, former world number 31, has had a rough couple of years. In the grass season, he finally seems to find his momentum back. Will he spoil the party for American tennis fans?

Ben Shelton vs Llyod Harris: Wimbledon Round 1 Preview

Shelton’s had a tough time adjusting to grass courts. He’s only won two of the five matches on the surface this year. However, turning down the 1-2 deficit against Mattia Bellucci will do his confidence a world of good. The world number 14 has only played ten grass-court matches in his career with four wins to his name. Despite the novice numbers, Shelton has shown promise in abundance and will not go down easily.

Lloyd Harris, meanwhile, is buzzing with confidence. He demoted himself to challenger level tennis to gain back some ranking points, and it paid dividends. The South African has won 12 of his 14 grass court matches this year, albeit mainly in Challengers and qualifiers. His comeback from two sets down against Michelsen was quite extraordinary and he will be looking to hunt down another American today.

Ben Shelton vs Lloyd Harris: Head-to-Head

Harris and Shelton have never crossed paths before in their career. The Wimbledon round 2 clash will be the first meeting between them.

Prediction:

Shelton and Harris are quite identical players. They rely on their big serve to close out games quickly and often end up playing tiebreakers. Shelton’s far superior forehand and net play makes him a bigger threat. However, Harris knows exactly how to tackle this. The South African will exploit Shelton’s poor return of serve and come out on top during big moments with his reliable shot tolerance.

Harris notched up 128 aces in his ten challenger grass-court matches this year. In comparison, Shelton registered 56 of those in four tour-level matches before Wimbledon. However, in their Wimbledon openers, Harris’ 34 aces outclassed Shelton’s tally of 19. The American won 74% of his first serve points while Harris recorded a whopping 87% for the same. In a highly serve dominant battle, these numbers are going to be the deal breakers.

Final Verdict: Lloyd Harris to win the match in five sets. The match will include a couple of tiebreakers, several aces (most coming from Harris’ racquet), and possibly over 45 games.