Casper Ruud vs Ben Shelton Prediction & Betting Tips - ATP Barcelona

Prediction published on 18/04/2023, 04:00  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 18/04/2023 at 05:20 in Tennis Predictions

The Round of 32 in the ATP Barcelona is set to get underway this week, and in our featured match, we will see Casper Ruud look to continue his good clay court form when he takes on Ben Shelton on Tuesday. Now ranked third in the world, Ruud will be looking to bounce back from his disappointment in Monte Carlo, where he suffered an upset defeat in straight sets against qualifier Jan Lennard Struff in the second round. However, prior to that tournament, Ruud won the clay court tournament in Estoril a couple of weeks earlier, overcoming the likes of Miomir Kecmanovic and Sebastian Baez en route to his first title of the year. With a record of 5-1 on the clay this year, Ruud will fancy his chances in this one. 

Meanwhile, Ben Shelton reached his best ranking coming into this tournament, now 37th, and will be hoping that his recent form on this surface can improve after making a good start here in Barcelona. One reason for his climbing the ranking is a lack of points to defend from last year. Following a second-round defeat to Dominic Thiem in Estoril and a first-round exit in Monte Carlo, Shelton is now 2-2 on the clay this year. However, he looked much more settled in his tournament opener this time around, beating Mackenzie Mcdonald in straight sets (7-5 6-4). Going up against one of the world's best in this one, Shelton will know that he's going to need to be flawless in order to stand a chance against Ruud.