One of the most intriguing matches on Friday’s Mutua Madrid Open schedule sees Ben Shelton taking on Mariano Navone in the Round of 64. This is a rematch of a match we saw at Indian Wells, where Shelton earned a relatively straightforward 6-3, 6-2 victory. However, Shelton is coming off a run to the final in Munich last week, and he could be a little fatigued after having played five matches — and two physical three-setters. This match is also being played on Navone’s preferred surface. With that in mind, I think it’s worth playing the Argentine as an underdog.
Shelton obviously has a massive weapon with that serve of his, and that should keep this match from being lopsided. However, you do need a little more than just a serve in order to win in Madrid. I know this is considered a server-friendly tournament, but that’s relative to other clay-court events. You can still grind out points and win matches from the back of the court, and Navone is going to have a massive edge over Shelton when we do see longer rallies. After all, Navone is 21-17 on clay in his career. Shelton is just 14-14 on the surface, and four of those wins came in Houston.
