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.
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 |
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.