One of the third-round fixtures at the 2025 Paris Masters will see fifth-seeded Ben Shelton face No. 12-seeded Andrey Rublev. Coming into the Paris Masters, Shelton’s form has been inconsistent, with early exits at both Shanghai and Basel. However, in Paris, he began his campaign with a 7-6 (4), 6-3 win over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
Since the US Open, Rublev has been on a five-match losing streak, suffering opening-round exits at the tournaments in Hangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, and Vienna. He snapped the losing streak with a 6-1, 6-4 win over British qualifier Jacob Fearnley in the first round in Paris, followed by a 6-4, 6-4 win over Learner Tien in the second round..
Ben Shelton vs Andrey Rublev Match Details
Date: Oct. 30, 2025
Tournament: Paris Masters 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 16)
Venue: Paris La Défense Arena, Paris, France
Category: Masters 1000
Surface: Indoor Hard Court
Live Telecast: Tennis Channel, TSN, Sky Sports
Shelton vs Rublev Head-to-Head
Shelton and Rublev have played each other once previously, with the American leading 1-0 in the head-to-head. Their only match to date was on an indoor hard court at Basel last year, which Shelton won 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4.
Shelton vs Rublev Prediction
In his previous round in Paris, Shelton won an extraordinary 86% of his first-serve points and over 70% of his second-serve points. He faced only one break point, which he saved, but he could break his opponent’s serve only once in the entire match.
Meanwhile, in the two matches he has played, Rublev has won 81% of his first-serve points but has been less effective on the second serve, winning 49% of points behind it. He has faced 12 break points on his own serve but has played well under pressure, saving 10 of them. On return, the Russian has converted eight of 17 break-point opportunities in the two matches he has played.
This year, Shelton has a 26-11 win-loss record on hard courts, with a Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open. He also had a semifinal run at the Australian Open and was a prime candidate to make a similar run at the U.S. Open if not for the injury he sustained mid-match.
More: Ben Shelton Underlines His Faith in God, Calls Himself ‘Privileged’ After Overcoming Physical Struggles To Rediscover Success in Paris
Meanwhile, Rublev has a 22-16 win-loss record on hard courts this year, winning the title in Doha and reaching the semifinals in Montpellier and Los Cabos. He is a former semifinalist at the Paris Masters, reaching the last four in 2023.
Even on the slower courts in Paris, Shelton has maintained high serving numbers, which will serve him well against Rublev. For the Russian to have a chance, he needs to be aggressive in return games and force Shelton to come to the net more often. Based on current form, Shelton is favored to win, though a tight three-set battle is expected.
Pick: Shelton to win in three sets
