Former ATP pro Greg Rusedski called Ben Shelton the dark horse at the Australian Open. The former World No. 4 expected Shelton to do well in Melbourne, and the American kicked off his run with a strong start, beating Casper Ruud, Ugo Humbert, and Valentin Vacherot, thereby setting up a blockbuster quarterfinal against Jannik Sinner.
The 23-year-old American couldn’t get his game going in the quarterfinals, as Sinner breezed past him in straight sets to advance to the semifinals. Shelton’s loss left Rusedski visibly disappointed, and in the latest episode of his podcast, Off-court with Greg, the 1997 US Open finalist tore into Shelton, citing how well Grigor Dimitrov had played against the Italian at last year’s Wimbledon until an injury forced him to retire.
“I think Grigor Dimitrov played the perfect match [against Sinner] at Wimbledon… Sinner wouldn’t have won Wimbledon without that injury, and I think he would probably be talking about Alcaraz winning another Wimbledon title… You have to have that slice, keep the ball low, quick into the forehand coming forward,” Rusedski said.
“And I’d like to see somebody like Ben Shelton, who’s improving, get that backhand better, take the ball earlier. I was a little disappointed in Australia because he tried a tactic that didn’t work because he [Shelton] didn’t come out guns blazing, and he let Sinner settle. And once they’re settled and feel comfortable, those top two guys, they get the job done,” he added.
Earlier, former US Open champion Andy Roddick had made the same point about Shelton, noting minor errors in his serve and decision-making that allowed Sinner to take control of the match and ultimately win it. The World No. 9 is aiming to redeem himself from the heartbreaking loss in Melbourne and perform well in February’s events on the ATP circuit.
Ben Shelton’s Dallas Open Journey Starts With Wins in Both Singles and Doubles Disciplines
Shelton opened his Dallas Open account with a win in men’s doubles, as he paired up with fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic to beat the Bulgarian pairing of Grigor Dimitrov and Georgi Georgiev in the round of 16 on Monday. On Tuesday, Shelton opened his singles account after defeating Canadian Gabriel Diallo in the opening round.
Now, Shelton and Kovacevic are set to face the French pairing of Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Shelton’s singles opponent for the round of 16 clash later that day is yet to be decided. After the Dallas Open, Shelton will take his talents down south to play at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, starting on February 23.
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