Ben Shelton v Jack Draper: Free Tips, Prediction and Odds

Jack Draper brushed aside Taylor Fritz in the Indian Wells last 16 on Wednesday and the British No.1 will face another American when he meets Ben Shelton in the quarter-finals.

Draper has been almost perfect in California, beating rising star Joao Fonseca 6-4 6-0 and US player Jenson Brooksby 7-5 6-4 before posting a victory over third seed Fritz by the same scoreline in the round of 16.

The 23-year-old, who will reach the world's top 10 for the first time if he makes the Indian Wells final, is the 8/13 favourite to see off Shelton, who has enjoyed a similarly smooth passage with wins coming over Mariano Navone, Karen Khachanov and Brandon Nakashima.

Shelton is a narrow 13/10 underdog as he attempts to reach a first Masters 1000 semi-final.

Ben Shelton v Jack Draper free betting tips and predictions

Jack Draper to win - 8/13

Fitness issues have hampered Draper's progress in recent seasons, but the Londoner looks to be in the best shape of his life and he's producing the best tennis of his career ahead of this clash with Shelton.

Three straight five-set matches caught up with him at the Australian Open - forcing him to retire in his fourth-round clash with Carlos Alcaraz - but he took a month off and returned to action with a run to the final of the Qatar Open, finding only Andrey Rublev too strong.

Those performances in the Middle East were a sign of things to come for Draper, who has relished conditions in Indian Wells over the last week, posting dominant triumphs over three tricky opponents.

While the 23-year-old was sent off odds-on for all three matches, the manner of his wins over Fonseca and Fritz, in particular, were hugely impressive, as he swatted aside one of the brightest talents in the game before knocking out the third seed with little fuss.

The start of the first set against Fritz saw the pair exchange service holds but, from 4-5 down onwards, Draper accelerated, winning seven straight games to win the first set and establish a 4-0 lead in the second, from which Fritz was never able to mount a recovery.

His reward is a meeting with Shelton, who he has never faced before and a bruising encounter should be expected between two big hitters who are likely to trade blows from the baseline.

Big-serving Shelton has also impressed in Indian Wells, but a meeting with an in-form Draper presents him with a much tougher test and, with the Brit playing better than ever and seemingly brimming with confidence, he can claim a place in the semi-finals.

Under 3.5 total breaks of serve - 4/7

Draper was superb on serve in his victory over Fritz, winning 91% (32 out of 35) points on first serve and allowing the American just one look at a break point in the match.

He has an excellent chance of doing likewise against Shelton, who is not known for his ability as a returner - the Floridian ranks only 71st in return rating on the ATP Tour despite being ranked 12th in the world overall.

Shelton is more likely to lean heavily on his serve, which is among the best in the game and, while Draper will hope to engineer break-point chances, that's easier said than done against a rival who has been broken just twice in three Indian Wells matches.

With that in mind, breaks of serve could come at a premium.

Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site

Ben Shelton v Jack Draper odds

Ben Shelton - 13/10
Jack Draper - 8/13

View the full market and more odds for Ben Shelton v Jack Draper on site

This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.