Winner to face Fritz or Rublev in the SF.
For the first time on the ATP circuit, the entertaining Ben Shelton will lock horns with speed machine Alex de Minaur in the 2025 National Bank Open quarterfinals on Tuesday. It will be power vs agility, as the World No. 7 and No. 8 fight it out for a spot in the final four at Toronto. Today, we will analyse the match preview, result predictions, and the betting odds via BetMGM for this Canadian Open last eight bout.
Currently on a seven-match unbeaten streak since losing in the pre-quarterfinals at Wimbledon, Alex de Minaur is a force to be reckoned with. Having reached the final in Rotterdam earlier this year, the 26-year-old Australian went one step further by capturing the Washington DC crown at the end of July. He has a 22-6 record on hard courts this year, including an 80% success rate on serve. A two-time US Open quarterfinalist, de Minaur beat Comesana, O’Connell (walkover) and Tiafoe to get to this stage.
On Tuesday however, ‘The Demon’ will have to contend with the dominant serve of Ben Shelton. The American has been excelling under the warm, bouncy conditions of the North American swing. Shelton is into his third consecutive quarterfinal, and he is gunning for his maiden championship run of 2025. With monumental wins over Mannarino, Nakashima and Cobolli, the 22-year-old fourth seed is in prime position to go deeper into the draw. After all, he wins 85% service games and converts 40% break point opportunities on this surface.
| Ben Shelton | Category | Alex de Minaur |
| 0 | Grand Slams | 0 |
| 2 | ATP Singles Titles | 10 |
| 0 | ATP Doubles Titles | 1 |
| 0 | Masters-1000 Titles | 0 |
| – | Olympics Best Performance | – |
| No. 7 | Current World Ranking | No. 8 |
Regardless of the outcome, this match-up is an absolute treat for the neutral tennis fan. Two fan favourites with an immense ability to entertain, Shelton vs de Minaur promises a whole lot. The Aussie is superior in terms of defensive skill and baseline groundstroke exchanges. However, if Shelton can remain consistent on serve and slow down the pace of the encounter from time to time, de Minaur will find it challenging to inject the counter-punch pace that he is so good at.
Prediction: Alex de Minaur in three sets.
Alex de Minaur has been given a slight advantage over underdog Ben Shelton in terms of the pre-match betting market. While the odds are constantly fluctuating, the match result is likely to favour only one competitor. According to the implied probability on the money line, the Australian stands tall with a 62% chance of advancing to the semifinal. Here’s all you need to know about the odds (as per BetMGM):
(According to BetMGM: BetMGM offers exclusive promo codes, bonus deals and accurate odds for users upon signing up. Use BetMGM to ace your betting game in all sports!)
(Image Credits: John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images)
