The US Open in New York reaches its conclusion on Sunday as the Final takes center stage. Alexander Zverev, ranked third in the world, faces fifth-ranked American Ben Shelton for the championship title, scheduled for approximately 2:00 PM EDT.
Alexander Zverev vs. Ben Shelton - Final
Scheduled for approximately 2:00 PM EDT.
The head-to-head record here is as lopsided as it gets at this level: Zverev leads Shelton 5-0 in career meetings, and the recent results offer no comfort for the American. Across their five prior meetings, Zverev has beaten Shelton at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, in a Stuttgart Semifinal, twice in Cincinnati Quarterfinal and Final-stage matches, and in a Munich Final. The most recent of those Cincinnati encounters, a 3-6 7-6(3) 7-5 comeback win at the Western and Southern Open, shows Shelton is capable of pushing Zverev, taking the first set before Zverev steadied himself. However, the broader pattern is consistent: Zverev has closed out every single encounter, including a dominant 6-2 6-2 scoreline in a prior Cincinnati Quarterfinal and a 6-2 6-4 result in Munich. No odds are available for this match, but the ranking gap between third and fifth is narrow on paper, while the 5-0 head-to-head tells a more meaningful story about how these two have matched up in practice.
Prediction: Zverev wins the US Open title, extending his head-to-head lead over Shelton to 6-0.
