One of the most interesting round-of-16 matches in the men’s AO is surely Casper Ruud vs Ben Shelton which will give us a clash of court styles. It’s Ben Shelton’s big serve and lefty style against Casper Ruud’s consistency and strong forehand.
The head-to-head record between the two stands at 2-1 in favor of Ruud. Their most recent meeting took place in the quarterfinals of Acapulco in 2024, where Ruud secured a hard-fought three-set victory. However, Shelton won their only previous meeting on a fast American hard court in Cincinnati.
Ruud vs Shelton
Ruud enters the second week following a statement win over Marin Cilic, where he blasted a career-high 25 aces to advance in four sets. Ruud is traditionally known for his clay-court skills but in recent times he has shown huge improvement on hard courts, now reaching the fourth round in Melbourne for the first time since 2021. Off the court, the Norwegian is also dealing with personal distraction, as he has noted he may leave the tournament at any moment for the birth of his first child. So far that does not seem to to distract him too much in his game…
Shelton has been in fine form throughout the first week, advancing to the round of 16 without dropping a single set. The 23-year-old left-hander has leaned heavily on his massive serve and aggressive net play to shorten points and deny his opponents any rhythm. Having reached the semifinals in Melbourne last year, Shelton clearly feels at home here on the fast courts.
Predictions and best bets
The match will likely be decided by whether Ruud can withstand the initial barrage from Shelton’s serve and forehand. Ruud will look to use heavy topspin to push the American deep and extend the rallies, while Shelton will aim to keep points short.
An interesting match-up. Shelton is the tennis bookies favorite here at 1.57 (-175) and that was expected but I like what we’ve been seeing from Ruud recently, truly solid and efficient and we know he can go deep in the major tournaments.
My bet: Game Handicap Ruud +3.5 at 1.67 (-150).
