Shelton makes bold move that could pay off in heading to Europe for clay court preparation instead of remaining in USA

Rising American star Ben Shelton has made the decision to skip the US Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston in favor of heading to Europe.

Shelton is opting to compete at the Estoril Open, where he is a seeded player, instead of playing in Houston. The 20-year old could be hoping to gain more experience on true red clay in preparation for the French Open, as opposed to Houston's Har-Tru clay, which is slightly faster than the real deal.

The eighth-seeded American will face off with France’s Constant Lestienne in the first round of the Estoril Open on Tuesday. He has a shot at facing former World No.3 Dominic Thiem in the second round, should both men advance to that stage.

Although Shelton is 6-6 this season, the Atlanta native had a dream run at the Australian Open, where he reached the last eight. He is currently ranked at World No.39, and will be competing at his maiden ATP main-draw clay-court tournament in Estoril.