Ben Shelton vs Thiago Agustin Tirante Prediction & Picks - ATP Houston

Prediction published on 4/3/26, 11:21 AM  by Tyler Doty | Modified on 4/3/26 at 5:35 PM in Tennis Picks

As the top seed here in Houston, Ben Shelton had a very tough time defeating Zhizhen Zhang. The American, coming off two consecutive disappointments at Indian Wells and Miami, where he was eliminated in the third and second rounds, respectively, seemed physically sluggish against the Chinese player. But his powerful serve allowed him to come out on top after two tiebreaks (7-6, 7-6). This performance shows that the world No. 9 is struggling right now, with a slight dip in physical form that is showing in his play—and consequently in his results. On Friday, Ben Shelton will try to secure his spot in the semifinals in Texas against Thiago Agustin Tirante.

A quarterfinalist last February in Rio de Janeiro, the Argentine, like many of his compatriots, is a strong player on clay. The South American has proven this since the start of the week, where he has been the bane of American players with wins over Colton Smith (6-0, 6-3) and Mackenzie McDonald (6-2, 6-0), showcasing all his skills on his favorite surface. Ranked 83rd in the world, Thiago Agustin Tirante will not be the favorite in this quarterfinal against Ben Shelton. But riding the momentum of his second-round win in Miami and his first two matches in Texas, the Argentine knows he can compete with an opponent who has been struggling lately.