Preview:ATP Finals: Ben Shelton vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime - prediction, head-to-head, tournament so far

Both facing elimination from the ATP World Tour Finals, Ben Shelton and Felix Auger-Aliassime enter their second round-robin match on Wednesday aware that the loser will be eliminated.

Shelton lost to Alexander Zverev in two sets in his debut appearance, while Auger-Aliassime’s body broke down in Monday night’s tight opening set against Jannik Sinner before understandably succumbing in the second.

Match preview

Auger-Aliassime held his own for much of Monday night despite a partisan Turin crowd, matching Sinner for much of the first set in a fast-paced match.

Unfortunately, the indoor specialist injured his left calf as the set neared a tie-break, hindering his movement for the rest of the match as the home favourite claimed a 7-5, 6-1 win.

The Canadian star has stated that the issue would not force him out of the Finals, where he is competing for the second time after 2022, now holding a losing 1-4 record.

Aiming to secure his first win of this year’s event and second overall, the 25-year-old’s condition will play a significant part in his chances of success.

If the problematic calf turns out to have been a one-off setback against Sinner, then he is undoubtedly the clear favourite against the debutant; otherwise, Shelton should back himself to beat an ailing player on Wednesday.

The American could not upset former Finals champion Zverev in Sunday’s contest, falling to the German player in one hour and 33 minutes.

While the world No. 3 was in good form with his deliveries, it was disappointing from the debutant's perspective that he failed to create a single break-point chance throughout the match; on the other hand, the No. 3 seed got some joy on the American's serve, breaking him twice.

The booming serve and power hitting from the world No. 5 should lead to another quick-paced contest, though the lefty's extra day of rest and the Canadian's health will play a large part in the outcome.

Holding a 40-22 record for the season and 27-13 on hard courts, 'Box Office Ben' seeks his 41st and 28th wins, respectively, on Wednesday.

Success would mean that the 23-year-old gives himself a shot ahead of the uphill challenge that is facing Sinner in the final round; failure, however, means an early exit in Turin.

Tournament so far

Ben Shelton:

Round Robin: vs. Alexander Zverev 3-6 6-7[6]

Felix Auger-Aliassime:

Round Robin: vs. Jannik Sinner 5-7 1-6

Head To Head

French Open (2022) - Third round: Auger-Aliassime 6-4 6-2 6-1

Auger-Aliassime leads Shelton 1-0 in their ATP Tour head-to-head, having convincingly won their only encounter three years ago on the clay courts at Roland Garros in Paris.

The American player has improved since that defeat, even winning a Masters title in Canada this year, though beating Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner or Zverev remains an uphill challenge.

Eight of the top-10 defeats the American has suffered this year have come against those three, contributing to his 2-8 record against elite opponents; his two wins were against Alex de Minaur and Taylor Fritz in Canada.

We say: Shelton to win in two sets

Wednesday’s outcome undeniably depends on Auger-Aliassime’s health; if fit, the indoor specialist should be expected to succeed against the debutant.

However, this remains uncertain, despite the Canadian’s comments on Monday, meaning that Shelton should capitalise on a physically affected opponent to secure a significant victory over the world No. 8.