Ben Shelton started the 2024 Madrid Open with a tremendous performance, and he hopes to continue it against Alexander Bublik.
Last year was the first time in his career that Shelton saw extended time on clay, and it was a struggle. He wasn't a natural fit on it, and it took him some time before he finally won a couple of matches.
This year, he already won a clay trophy, though it came in Houston, which plays a bit differently than most European clay. He skipped over the Monte-Carlo Masters to recover but made a comeback to the red dirt in Madrid, and it was a smashing win 6-0, 6-2 over Tomas Machac.
The American will enjoy his stay in Madrid because the altitude will greatly benefit his service. Bublik will have the same benefit, but he's also quite a bit more erratic. He's been more serious about things this year, but he'll likely never grow out of some of the things he does on the tennis court.
Head-to-head:
Shelton and Bublik have played on clay before. It was last year in Rome, and Bublik won that match in three sets. This one has a chance to be somewhat complicated as well, but I really like Shelton's chances in these conditions.
His power will give Bublik plenty of problems, but the Kazakhstani is capable of countering that. He played decently in his second-round match here, which should happen in this one as well.
| Ben Shelton | Alexander Bublik | |
| 0 | H2H | 1 |
| 15 | Rank | 18 |
| 21 | Age | 26 |
| 16-7 | 2024 W/L | 15-8 |
| 45-34 | Career W/L | 142-133 |
Prediction:
Overall, I still like Shelton's chances, though, because I think he's hungrier to prove himself and will most assuredly try harder to win. The serve could be a major weapon, and it's more stable than Bublik's, which can be all over the place.
Prediction: Ben Shelton to win in two sets.
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