Tie-break madness?

Hard to see an open game in a matchup like this.

So yeah, I know that in their last match Zverev won fairly comfortably in an open match, but we should remember Shelton was completely cooked. Before Cincinnati, Zverev beat Shelton twice this year—a double tiebreak on grass and a more straightforward win on clay. I think that’s a good reflection of their matchup: Shelton is still more dependent on his serve because once the rally is neutral, the German is the steadier one. Plus, Zverev is better on the backhand side, so Shelton’s lefty advantage doesn’t really exist. I do have to point out that Shelton has improved a lot from the baseline; he’s learned to be patient before unloading, he’s gained maturity, and in this kind of matchup that should help him. I’m expecting better management of his service games and a few more looks on return if Zverev isn’t serving 80% first serves. We obviously have to talk about the conditions: even if it’s slower than before, it’s still a relatively quick indoor hard court. Shelton can benefit from that just as much as Zverev, especially since the American made a big impression in Paris before, as expected, losing to Sinner. Strong impression from Zverev too before he was gassed; his “injury” to the ankle wasn’t really one—he’s at 100%. You can give Zverev a slight edge in Masters experience; it can be tricky for some players to perform well in their first appearance.