Ben Shelton vs Andrey Rublev Preview
Fifth seed Ben Shelton will face Andrey Rublev in the third round of the Paris Masters 2025. Shelton received a bye into the second round, where he was matched against Flavio Cobolli. Neither player was able to make inroads on the other’s serve in the opening set, leading to a tiebreak. The American gained the upper hand in the tiebreak to take the set.
In the second set, a break of serve put Shelton in the driver’s seat. He held on to that advantage until the end, securing a 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory.
Rublev, on the other hand, beat Jacob Fearnley 6-1, 6-4 to reach the second round, where he faced Learner Tien. An early break of serve laid the foundation for the Russian to take the first set. Although Tien found his footing in the second set with a quick 3-0 lead, Rublev turned the tables, winning six of the next seven games for a 6-4, 6-4 victory.
Head-to-Head: Ben Shelton vs Andrey Rublev
Shelton leads Rublev 1-0 in their head-to-head meetings. He won their previous encounter at the Swiss Indoors 2024 in three sets, not dropping his serve even once and winning 86% of his first serve points.
Player Form and Tournament Outlook
Shelton has made it to the third round of the tournament for the first time in his career. He now aims to win back-to-back matches for the first time since his return to the tour following an injury at the US Open.
Rublev arrived at the Paris Masters on a five-match losing streak. However, his poor form seems to be behind him as he has played solid tennis to reach the third round here for the fourth time in his career. While he holds a 34-24 record this season, his performance against top 10 players has been less impressive, going 1-4.
Shelton has a 6-7 record against top 20 players but has won five of his last six matches against them. He previously defeated Rublev en route to last year’s Swiss Indoors final. Though that match was also played indoors, the courts in Paris have been slowed down this year.
Despite the relatively slower conditions, Shelton’s game has not been dampened. He is showing signs of his pre-injury form, and if he can sustain his current momentum, he should be able to get past Rublev.
Match Prediction
Pick: Ben Shelton to win in three sets.
Ben Shelton vs Andrey Rublev Betting Tips
- Tip 1: Ben Shelton to win.
- Tip 2: The match will have at least one tiebreak.
- Tip 3: The match will have at least 26 games.
Match Details
- Fixture: (5) Ben Shelton vs (12) Andrey Rublev
- Date: October 30, 2025
- Tournament: Rolex Paris Masters
- Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
- Venue: La Défense Arena, Paris, France
- Category: Masters 1000
- Surface: Hard (indoor)
- Prize Money: €6,128,940
- Live Telecast: USA Tennis Channel | UK Sky Sports | Canada TSN
