Ben Shelton

The final round of 16 matches in Stuttgart brings a clear spotlight to the top names still standing, with Ben Shelton and Nick Kyrgios both set for Thursday action. LastWordOnSports expects the day to be shaped by serve, grass-court confidence, and a few matchups where the favorite has a real edge. That mix makes the day especially interesting, because several players arrive with strong records on grass while others are trying to extend their runs against opponents they have already handled before. The draw now narrows toward the quarterfinals, and these four matches offer the clearest picture of who looks most likely to move on. Jiri Lehecka vs James Duckworth Lehecka enters as the No. 4 seed after a bye, while Duckworth had to work through local favorite Diego Dedura in the opening round. Duckworth can be awkward on grass when his flat striking lands cleanly, but Lehecka’s overall level and past success on grass give him the stronger case. LastWordOnSports sees the Czech player as the more complete option here, especially with a game that has already carried him to a Queen’s Club final. Duckworth may make stretches competitive, but the matchup still leans heavily toward Lehecka. Prediction: Lehecka in 2 Nick Kyrgios vs Sho Shimabukuro Kyrgios produced a standout opening-round performance against Corentin Moutet, which came as a surprise because he had not played a singles match in more than five months. The Australian’s grass-court pedigree remains a major factor, even if his recent injury issues make every outing feel less predictable than before. Shimabukuro now gets a difficult test against a player who can control matches quickly when his serve and shotmaking are firing. Kyrgios has not looked like his old self since 2022, but if his body holds up and the level stays close to what he showed in round one, he should still have enough to advance. Prediction: Kyrgios in 2 Ben Shelton vs Marcos Giron Shelton’s serve remains the central weapon in any grass-court match, and that should matter again against Giron. The top seed has the more explosive game, while Giron may struggle to create enough pressure from the baseline to turn the match in his favor. The matchup gives Shelton a path that looks straightforward on paper, and the grass only increases the value of his first-strike tennis. It is difficult to make a strong case for an upset if Shelton serves near his usual level. Prediction: Shelton in 2 Frances Tiafoe vs Rinky Hijikata Tiafoe has already beaten Hijikata twice this season, once on hard court and once on clay, and he now has another chance to repeat the result on grass. Stuttgart is also a familiar place for the American, who won the title there in 2023. Grass is not his most natural surface, but his quality still gives him the edge in a match where Hijikata does not appear to have a major weapon that can regularly disrupt him. LastWordOnSports expects Hijikata to compete, yet Tiafoe’s experience and all-around level should be enough again. Prediction: Tiafoe in 2 The day’s slate leaves little room for easy surprises, with three seeded names and one former champion all carrying the stronger case into their matches. If those edges hold, Stuttgart’s quarterfinal field will start to take shape exactly as expected. Read more at: lastwordonsports.com

Shelton and Kyrgios Lead Stuttgart’s Last 16 Push, Tiafoe Faces Another Test