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Luciano Darderi vs Ben Shelton Live Stream & Preview - Darderi stronger on clay but Shelton ready to battle in Munich

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Last updated: 18 Apr 2025

Freetips staff 18 Apr 2025

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Luciano Darderi seeks first top-20 win, favored by a clay surface.
Ben Shelton known for mental toughness, making it likely a tight match.
Darderi on a winning streak, making him a strong bet for victory.

Expired

Ben Shelton will be playing his first quarterfinal on European clay

Luciano Darderi vs Ben Shelton Preview

Luciano Darderi is 0-6 in his career against top-20 players, and up until now, he hasn't really looked ready to change that record. However, a favorable matchup against a vulnerable clay-court opponent has opened the door for him to finally grab his first top-20 win. He couldn't have asked for a better opportunity.

Right now, Darderi is clearly the better player on clay and is riding a solid winning streak, making him the obvious pick if you're looking for a bet. That said, Ben Shelton's elite mentality shouldn't be underestimated. He's mentally tough and often finds ways to overcome challenges, especially against lower-ranked opponents.

With that in mind, I’d also consider a bet on Shelton to keep things close and make it a competitive match.

Luciano Darderi vs Ben Shelton Preview
Head-to-Head
Luciano Darderi Overview
Luciano Darderi Form
Ben Shelton Overview
Ben Shelton Form

Head-to-Head

This will be the first meeting between these two players.

Luciano Darderi Overview

Current rank: 47
Career high rank: 32
ELO rank: 75
Season record: 13–9
Career clay record: 178–96
Career quarterfinal record: 3–2 (all on clay)
Career record against top-20 players: 0–6

Luciano Darderi Form

Luciano Darderi had a tough start to the 2025 season, winning only one of his first nine completed matches. With such a slow beginning, defending all the points he earned during his breakout year looked like an uphill battle.

Things took a sharp turn once the clay swing began. Darderi suddenly found his groove and started playing with the same confidence that pushed him up the ATP rankings last season.

He picked up some much-needed form and momentum with a run to the final at the Napoli Challenger last month, which kicked off his revival.

The following week at the ATP event in Marrakech, he won the second ATP title of his career, beating top seed Tallon Griekspoor and former champion Roberto Carballes Baena.

After that title run, he took a well-deserved week off and skipped the Monte Carlo Masters to rest. He came into Munich this week full of energy and confidence.

In the first round, he edged past lucky loser Christopher O'Connell in two tiebreaks, then pulled off another win in back-to-back tiebreaks against Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round. His recent performances clearly show the belief and momentum he is riding right now.

Ben Shelton Overview

Current rank: 15
Career high rank: 12
ELO rank: 29
Season record: 12–7
Career clay record: 19–15
Career quarterfinal record: 8–7 (1–0 on clay)

Ben Shelton Form

Ben Shelton is still in the early stages of his career on European clay, taking baby steps as he works to find his footing on this surface.

Expectations for him remain fairly low during this phase, even though he is a top-20 player and getting closer to breaking into the top 10.

That makes every win he picks up on clay a valuable step forward, and by that measure, this has already been a successful campaign for him.

He has faced tough challenges in both of his matches so far but managed to find solutions, defeating Borna Gojo and Botic van de Zandschulp to reach the quarterfinals.

This is an important milestone in his journey to improve his game and results on clay, which remains his least preferred surface. On Friday, he will play in his first-ever quarterfinal at a tour-level event on European clay.

He previously reached the quarterfinals on clay in Houston last year and went on to win the title.

However, the conditions in Houston are quite different from those in Europe, so that result doesn't carry much weight when assessing his progress on true clay courts.

Verdict

Luciano Darderi v Ben Shelton

Luciano Darderi is 0-6 against top-20 players, but a favorable matchup now gives him a real chance for his first win in this category. Darderi is in great form on clay and riding a strong winning streak, making him the clear favorite. However, Ben Shelton's mental toughness can’t be overlooked, as he often finds ways to challenge even the toughest opponents.

While Darderi is the stronger pick, don’t count out Shelton to keep it close.

Luciano Darderi

Match Winner

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