Following a first-round bye, top seed Ben Shelton will kick off his Stuttgart campaign against Marcos Giron on Thursday. Nick Kyrgios will try to build on his opening win when he faces Sho Shimabukuro during second-round action.
(1) Ben Shelton vs. Marcos Giron
Shelton and Giron will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers when they clash in round two of the BOSS Open on Thursday. Although Shelton is a sizable favorite in this showdown between fellow Americans, Giron has been extremely competitive in this matchup. The world No. 88 trails the head-to-head series 2-1, but he defeated Shelton in straight sets at the 2023 Delray Beach tournament and then lost twice in three sets — at the 2023 Tokyo ATP 500 and this spring on the red clay of Hamburg.
This is another decent opportunity for Giron, who already has a win under his belt in Stuttgart after beating Roberto Bautista Agut 7-6(3), 7-5 on Tuesday. Shelton is playing his first match on grass following an up-and-down clay swing. The world No. 5 triumphed in Munich but then lost early in Madrid, Rome, Hamburg, and Roland Garros. A move to grass should be just what the doctor ordered for Shelton’s booming serve, but it’s never easy against a tough competitor in Giron.
Pick: Shelton in 3
(Q) Sho Shimabukuro vs. (WC) Nick Kyrgios
Kyrgios playing for the first time since January in Brisbane. Tuesday marked just his eighth match since the start of 2023, but it went as well as he possibly could have hoped. The 31-year-old Australian, who currently has no ranking but will be back on the charts next week, ousted No. 8 seed Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-4.
Up next for Kyrgios on Thursday is a first-ever meeting with Shimabukuro. It has already been one of the more productive weeks in Shimabukuro’s career on the main tour, as he qualified for the field of 28 and then crushed Quentin Halys 6-4, 6-2 in the first round. The 28-year-old from Japan had previously been 1-4 at the ATP level this season and 6-13 for his career. Shimabukuro has already won five grass-court matches this summer, so he should not be underestimated. Moreover, it is far from a guarantee that Kyrgios will be able to string together two solid performances in succession.
Pick: Shimabukuro in 3