Casper Ruud had no idea who I was last time but he knows me now, says Ben Shelton ahead of Barcelona clash

Ben Shelton will take on Casper Ruud in the second round of the ATP 500 Barcelona Open on Tuesday, April 18.

Shelton made his debut on the European clay swing of the tour at the Estoril Open in Portugal. The young American made a strong start to his campaign with a straight-sets victory over Constant Lestienne before falling to Dominic Thiem in the next round. The 20-year-old was unable to get going at the Monte-Carlo Masters, losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the first round.

The World No. 37 bounced back strongly at the Barcelona Open, defeating compatriot Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 6-4 to begin his campaign for his maiden ATP title.

At the 2022 Cincinnati Masters, Ben Shelton, the World No. 299 at the time, upset Casper Ruud in straight sets. Looking ahead to his second encounter against the Norwegian, Shelton acknowledged that the difference in conditions between hard and clay courts would play a role in their matchup.

“Different surface, different circumstances," Shelton said in an interview with the ATP Tour.

The 20-year-old suggested that Casper Ruud had been entirely unaware of his playing style prior to their previous encounter, but he was confident that the third seed was up to speed on his abilities now. The American expected Ruud to be better prepared for his tactics and expressed excitement for their upcoming clash.

"I don’t think he had any idea who I was the last time I played him, and I know he knows me now. I assume that he’ll be more prepared for some of my things I’m going to throw at him and I’m really excited for that matchup,” he added.

Ben Shelton confident about his abilities on clay ahead of Barcelona Open clash against Casper Ruud

Casper Ruud at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters

Ben Shelton expressed satisfaction with his performance against Mackenzie McDonald, stating that while he could identify areas of improvement in his game, he was confident of having made a "good start to the tournament." The American was especially proud of his mental strength and competitive spirit during the match.

“I thought that this was definitely a good start to the tournament for me. I think that I did some things well, some things I could have done better," Ben Shelton said. I’m happy with how tough I was mentally today and my competitive spirit."

Despite winning his first clay court title of the season at the Estoril Open, Casper Ruud was knocked out of the Monte-Carlo Masters in the third round by Jan-Lennard Struff. The Norwegian will be looking to put on a dominant performance against Ben Shelton and defend points from his run to the quarterfinals of the Barcelona Open in 2022.