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Match details
Fixture: Ben Shelton vs Fabio Fognini
Tournament: BNP Paribas Open
Round: First round (Round of 128)
Venue: Indian Wells, California, USA
Category: ATP Masters 1000
Surface: Outdoor hardcourt
Prize money: $8,800,000
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video
Ben Shelton vs Fabio Fognini preview
Home favorite Ben Shelton will take on Fabio Fognini in the first round of the 2023 BNP Paribas Open.
Shelton started the year with a second-round exit from the ASB Classic. He then went on to reach his maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. Following wins over Zhizhen Zhang, Nicholas Jarry, Alexei Popyrin, and J.J. Wolf, the 20-year-old was shown the door by Tommy Paul.
Shelton has, however, hit a rough patch since his dream run in Melbourne. He lost to fellow American Marcos Giron in straight sets in the first round of the Delray Beach Open. He put up a fight against Holger Rune at the Mexican Open, but eventually lost his opening-round contest in three sets.
Fognini's only win of the season, meanwhile, came at last month's Rio Open. He defeated Tomas Barrios Vera in the first round before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. He did manage to take a set off the teenager, but was no match for him otherwise.
Fognini's best result at the BNP Paribas Open was a fourth-round showing back in 2014, but he hasn't made it beyond the third round since then. The Italian made it to the second round last year, but an injury forced him out of the tournament after that.
Ben Shelton vs Fabio Fognini head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Ben Shelton vs Fabio Fognini odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Ben Shelton vs Fabio Fognini prediction
With a solitary win under his belt in 2023, Fognini enters this contest as the underdog. Luckily for him, Shelton isn't looking too hot right now either. The Italian will fancy his chances of emerging victorious given his opponent's dip in form.
Shelton started off strong against Rune at last week's Mexican Open, but was unable to sustain the intensity as the match went on. His serve kept him afloat, but he was outclassed in every other department.
For Fognini, there has been a steady decline in form over the last couple of years. He ended the previous season ranked outside the top 50 for the first time since 2010. Despite Shelton's recent struggles, he has outperformed the Italian this year. Expect the American to make a winning debut here.
Pick: Ben Shelton to win in straight sets.
