Ben Shelton has admitted he was surprised by Denis Shapovalov yesterday, not for how well he played during their semifinal match, but for what he heard about him right before they played.
The Canadian has put in a really impressive performance in Dallas over the last few days, in an effort to defend the title he won last year.
However, he came unstuck against the 23-year-old, with Ben Shelton’s supreme serving and ‘clutch’ moments dragging him through in a third-set tiebreak.
Speaking after the match, he had nothing but good things to say about Shapovalov.
Which American man has the best chance of winning a Grand Slam in 2026?
He did admit that he had not realised just how successful the 26-year-old had been earlier in his career.
Ben Shelton left surprised by Denis Shapovalov
Asked at his press conference to discuss Shapovalov and how he compares to the other left-handed players on tour, Shelton was supremely complimentary of his semifinal opponent.
He admitted: “If the full tour was on courts like this, not that he already isn’t a problem, [but] he’d be right up there at the top.”
Who is your favorite ATP player right now?
Shelton continued: “I mean, out of lefties, he’s ridiculously hard. You know, he’s got the most weapons out of any of the other lefties that I’ve played. Some other guys can be a trickier matchup sometimes, but yeah, for lefties right now, with the biggest weapons, it’s Draper and him.
“Obviously, he won this tournament last year. He’s been in the top ten. When they were listing off his accomplishments before the match today, I hadn’t realised all the stuff that he did at such a young age, you know, quarters and semis at slams, you know, as a teenager, just turned 20.
“But he’s one of the most dangerous guys on tour. I think that I present some stuff in the matchup that is, you know, difficult. But, I’ve gone into this match watching the tape of what he’s done so far this week. He’s been playing incredibly well.
“I think it’s gonna be a really good season for him.”
Before the match, Shelton also admitted that he’s been told to ignore his dad’s advice during this event, after some questionable serving suggestions in his match against Adrian Mannarino.
Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz to compete in all-American Dallas Open final
With Shelton having beaten Shapovalov and Taylor Fritz having outlasted Marin Cilic in the other semifinal, they have set up an all-American showdown for the Dallas Open title.
And, it marks the first time in eight years that the top seed has faced the second seed at this event, when Kevin Anderson beat Sam Querrey in 2018.
It marks a mouth-watering meeting between the two top-ranked American players on the ATP Tour, with both players currently tied in their head-to-head with one win apiece.
Shelton won their most recent match last year, beating Fritz in the semifinal of the Canadian Open as he stormed to his maiden Masters 1000 title.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
