American No. 1 Ben Shelton is all set to face defending champion Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals after defeating Casper Rudd in the round of 16 at the Australian Open. Shelton lost the first set to the Norwegian but quickly bounced back to win the following three sets.
Shelton dominated key stats against Ruud, including first-serve win percentage (83%), second-serve win percentage (73%), total winners (55), breaking the Norwegian’s serve three times out of 11 attempts, and winning a total of 120 points.
After the win, the 23-year-old American addressed the media and reflected on some key aspects of the match. In the same press conference, Shelton previewed his much-anticipated clash against Sinner in the quarterfinals, stating why he believed he had a good chance of causing a major upset against the Italian.
“My game is a lot different. I think the way that I’m executing one at the net is going to be a huge advantage to me. The way that I’m mixing things up from the baseline is a lot different than a year ago… I feel like I’m hitting it bigger than I’ve ever hit it. I think my return game has improved a lot. A year ago today,” Shelton said.
“Now I’m getting to a point in the match where I feel like I’m in locked-down mode, and I can’t miss one. So I think that that is a piece that really helps me because you have to play offensive tennis to beat the best guys,” he added.
“All those things together are what make my game a little bit different than where I was before. And you know, everyone is working and making improvements all the time,” Shelton concluded.
Ben Shelton Shares His Thought Process Ahead of His Match Against Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open
In the 2025 Australian Open, Sinner got the better of Shelton in the semifinals as he breezed past him in straight sets on course to win his second consecutive Grand Slam title in Melbourne. Now, the World No. 7 is seeking to redeem himself against the Italian and has declared his intentions during the on-court interview after his round-of-16 win against Ruud.
“I’ll be ready to go. It’s what you look forward to the most in this sport. It’s where I wanted to be, I wanted to be back here, to give myself another shot, I wanted to improve on some things that I didn’t do as well last year, and leave it all out on the court,” Shelton said.
The quarterfinal match between Shelton and Sinner is scheduled for Wednesday at Melbourne Park.
Also read:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
