Will Gigante’s gigantic run end in round 3?

Only die-hard tennis fans will have heard of Matteo Gigante before. The Italian is currently ranked 167th in the world and is therefore still largely unknown on the ATP circuit. However, that is likely to change now that he has reached the third round of the French Open 2025. The 23-year-old recently eliminated former Roland Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in four sets and is now aiming for the next upset. Ahead of the duel between Ben Shelton and Matteo Gigante, betting on the in-form Roman is, of course, once again a big risk.

Incidentally, his opponent from the US, who is one year younger, could also make personal history on Friday. If the prediction of a victory for the world number 13 proves correct, Ben Shelton would also reach the second week in the French capital for the first time in his career. He will certainly benefit from the fact that he is going into this match much more rested than his opponent.

Nevertheless, the bookmakers have also taken note of the underdog’s exciting run, which means that the odds for Shelton to beat Gigante are around 1.50. Given the significant gap in the world rankings and the extra experience in big matches at Grand Slam tournaments, one might have expected a more one-sided assessment of the odds. This makes potential bets on set handicaps in favor of the favorite from Atlanta all the more attractive.

Ben Shelton – Statistics & current form

Ben Shelton has long established himself among the world’s best tennis players. Despite being only 22 years old, “Big Ben” has already reached two Grand Slam semi-finals and celebrated two tournament victories on the ATP Tour. However, the left-hander still lacks consistency at times. Time and again, the top talent has inexplicable lapses against opponents who are actually lower ranked. Shelton is therefore prone to negative surprises at regular intervals, especially on clay.

There is a lot to be said for Shelton, who is not a clay court expert

In general, the red clay does not suit the risky baseline game of the American, whose father has not only trained him since childhood but is also the head tennis coach at the University of Florida. “The Mountain,” as Shelton is often called due to his height of 1.93 meters, defines himself on the one hand by his powerful shots and on the other by a very fast forehand, which is much less of a weapon on the relatively slow clay surface. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the world number 13’s overall package is absolutely sufficient to predict the 2025 Australian Open semifinalist between Shelton and Gigante on Friday.

Apart from that, there are two other factors that tip the scales in favor of the likeable Sunny Boy. Firstly, Shelton is already playing his seventh third-round match at a Grand Slam tournament and therefore has a clear advantage in terms of experience. Secondly, the 22-year-old has only played one match so far.

In the first round, “Big Ben” needed five sets to defeat Lorenzo Sonego despite trailing 1-2 in sets. However, because his second-round opponent Hugo Gaston was unable to play, the athlete had four days to recover. Rested, with fresh energy and the recommendation of a tournament victory on clay in Houston in the run-up to the match, the odds for a handicap victory also play a major role in my considerations ahead of the Shelton vs. Gigante duel. Due to the inconsistency mentioned at the beginning of the year or in the course of a match, the attractive 3.95 in the Betano app for a 3:1 victory for Shelton is worth considering. With the $20 free bet from Betano, you can minimize your risk even further.

Matteo Gigante – Statistics & current form

Matteo Gigante is currently experiencing the most exciting weeks of his professional career. First, the 23-year-old won the well-attended Challenger tournament in his home town of Rome at the end of April, making a big leap forward in the world rankings. Two weeks later, the Rome native finally made it into the main draw of the ATP Masters in the Italian capital. Gigante also won his first-round match there, but was then eliminated. Nevertheless, the left-hander traveled to Paris with a lot of momentum and in good form.

Gigante reaches round 3 of a Grand Slam for the first time

Due to his world ranking (167th), the lightweight – Gigante weighs only 68 kg at 1.80 m – had to battle his way through qualifying. However, luck was on his side, and three wins against Kym, Svajda, and Moller were enough to reach the main draw at Roland Garros for the first time. But that wasn’t all, because he also confidently eliminated his opening hurdle, Benjamin Hassan from Lebanon, losing only six games in three straight sets and just 98 minutes of play.

The Italian finally celebrated the biggest success of his career so far in the second round. He triumphed in four sets against former French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas. Nevertheless, it must be said that the Greek top player has been in a slump for months and had another bad day. Still, I am far from downplaying Gigante’s gigantic run. Reaching the third round of a Grand Slam as the world number 167 is remarkable and worthy of all credit.

Nevertheless, I expect the 23-year-old’s dream to come to an end on Friday. On the one hand, after many clay court matches this season, including five matches in one week in Paris, the issue of fitness/fatigue cannot be ignored. On the other hand, Shelton is now waiting, who is also a very confident opponent and who, on a normal day, should dominate his inexperienced opponent from the baseline. I think the underdog has a chance of winning a set, but ultimately it would be wise to bet on the American in the match between Shelton and Gigante. If “Big Ben” wins the first set, Oddset is offering solid odds of 1.62.

Ben Shelton – Matteo Gigante Head-to-head record

Unsurprisingly, the two opponents are facing each other for the first time in a direct duel. However, the omens are clear when the world number 13 meets the number 167. Shelton has already won over $5 million in prize money in his career, while Gigante has earned around $400,000 to date. The difference in the number of Grand Slam matches played also underlines the clear favoritism for the American.

Ben Shelton – Matteo Gigante Tip

At almost every Grand Slam tournament, there are players who no one really expects to do well, yet they are enjoying the best time of their careers. This is currently the case with Matteo Gigante. The 23-year-old Roman has qualified for the main draw for only the second time in his career. The world number 167 not only won three qualifying matches, but also the first two rounds against Hassan and Tsitsipas. Against the world number 13, Gigante is still considered the clear underdog in this duel between two left-handers.

Although Ben Shelton is far from being a clay court expert, his powerful groundstrokes combined with his greater talent should be enough to see him through to the second round at Roland Garros for the first time. The American is only playing his second match in the third round, while his opponent already has five matches under his belt. That’s exactly why my Shelton vs. Gigante tip is for the favorite to win by at least two sets. The set handicap (-1.5) is offered at 1.85 at Bwin, which I’m betting six out of a possible ten units on.