ATP Queen’s Club: Ben Shelton vs Arthur Rinderknech

ATP Queen’s Club: Ben Shelton vs Arthur Rinderknech – Momentum Meets Struggle

🧠 Form & Context

Ben Shelton 🇺🇸
🌱 Grass Turning Point: Reached the semifinals in Stuttgart, signaling a major leap on grass after a 6–7 record across 2023–24.
📈 Top-10 Debut: Cracked the ATP top 10 this month, boosted by strong showings on clay and continued progress across all surfaces.
⚡ 2025 Surge: Slam semifinal in Melbourne, finalist in Munich, multiple Masters runs—form and confidence are peaking.
📍 Queen’s History: 1R loss here last year to Mpetshi Perricard; looking to make amends with better grass instincts now in place.
Arthur Rinderknech 🇫🇷
🍀 Another Lucky Draw: Fell in Queen’s qualifying but reached main draw via lucky loser route.
📉 2025 Woes: Just 9–20 this year, with 10 first-round exits in 15 tournaments.
🎾 Flashes on Grass: Beat Shapovalov and took a set off Fucsovics in Stuttgart—suggesting some comfort on faster surfaces.
🧱 Game Built for Grass: Serve-and-volley skills and a flat backhand—suited for quick points—but execution has lacked consistency.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a duel between one of the Tour's most exciting risers and a veteran looking to find traction. Shelton’s lefty serve, especially on grass, is becoming elite. Add improved second-shot aggression and better movement, and he’s quickly becoming dangerous on all surfaces. Rinderknech has the tools—big serve, net game, low-slice backhand—but not the confidence. His wins have been isolated, and he hasn’t put together a solid run all year. If he serves well, he could force a breaker, but breaking Shelton on this court is a tough ask. Expect Shelton to take charge of most rallies on his terms, especially with Rinderknech’s return numbers sagging and his forehand too passive to trouble an in-form American.

🔮 Prediction

Pick: Ben Shelton in 2 sets With one tiebreak very possible, Shelton’s form, fitness, and momentum edge should lead him to a composed, efficient win.

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📊 Tale of the Tape

• 2025 W/L: Shelton 27–13 | Rinderknech 9–20
• Grass Record (Career): Shelton 9–9 | Rinderknech 12–13
• Last 3 Matches: Shelton – SF in Stuttgart | Rinderknech – Q Loss at Queen’s
• Style: Shelton – Power lefty, big serve + forehand | Rinderknech – Serve & volley, flat backhand