Delray Beach Open: Shelton vs Giron Tennis Prediction & Pick

TennisSection previews the 2023 Delray Beach Open as Ben Shelton takes on Marcos Giron in the first round on Tuesday, February 14, 2023.

Ben Shelton is back. The 29-year-old American prodigy is scheduled to take on Marcos Giron at the Delray Beach Open in his first match since his Australian Open exploits. Who will prevail and advance into the second round?

Ben Shelton is rapidly becoming a household name. The 20-year-old made use of his passport for the first time and it was a productive trip Down Under. Shelton, playing in his first Grand Slam outside US soil, reached the quarterfinal of the Australian Open. It’s remarkable the difference a year makes. At this time last year, he was ranked outside the top 500 and still playing tennis at the University of Florida. But his meteoric rise means that the sport will now take precedence. After pulling out from Dallas last week, Shelton is back competing again at the Delray Beach Open where he will take on fellow American Marcos Giron.

Marcos Giron, meanwhile, will be looking to shock his compatriot. With so much hype and attention centered around Ben Shelton, Giron could leverage this moment and use his experience and grinding skills to take charge of the proceedings in this match. But this is unless Shelton allows him to. Giron doesn’t particularly have a great record against the ATP’s big hitters, so he’s got work to do here if he intends to reach the second round of the Delray Beach Open.

Ben Shelton and Marcos Giron have not played each other on the ATP Tour. Shelton’s terrific Australian summer has seen him vault in rankings. He is now inside the top 50 and could make an instant impact at the Delray Beach Open. Giron is no slouch and makes a living off his consistency and grinding skills. But if Shelton brings his high-intensity level to this match, he will outmuscle Giron.