Ben Shelton passed his first real test of the Australian Open earlier today, coming from a set down to beat Casper Ruud.
However, the prize for his troubles will be a quarter-final meeting against Jannik Sinner, in an environment that he has proven he enjoys more than most.
The Italian is a two-time defending champion, and actually beat Ben Shelton around this time last year in the semi-finals.
It feels different this time though, especially after Sinner struggled so badly with the Melbourne heat recently.
Speaking on court after his win over Ruud, Shelton assessed his chances of success.
Ben Shelton previews his next match against Jannik Sinner
The American began by thanking the crowd for sticking around to watch his four-set win.
He claimed: “For me, I think atmosphere is everything, so I want to thank you guys for staying out here so late tonight.
Were the Australian Open wrong to allow Jannik Sinner time off court when he was cramping?
“I know you guys were probably looking forward to watching Novak. I actually heard it from the stands, but I hope we didn’t disappoint with that match, so I really appreciate you guys staying late.”
Jim Courier commended Shelton’s ability to continue going deep in the majors, prompting him to admit: “I think I definitely am a competitor, I am rowdy on the court. I look forward to rowdy crowds, and down here in Australia there is no shortage. So from my first experience playing here on John Cain, I fell in love with this tournament, and it’s one of my favourites marked off in the calendar each year.”
He then spoke about Sinner, with Shelton concluding by noting: “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 and give myself another shot. I wanted to improve on some things I didn’t do as well last year and leave it all out on the court.
“Like I said in the earlier rounds, I have a lot more I want to do here and a lot more to prove. I hope you guys come back in two days’ time because I will be ready to go.”
Ben Shelton’s head-to-head record vs Jannik Sinner
This will mark the tenth meeting between these two young stars, and the head-to-head does not make for good reading for Shelton.
After all, across their nine previous encounters, he has won just once, with that triumph being their first-ever clash.
That came way back in 2023, meaning he is currently enduring an eight-match losing streak against Sinner.
Shelton will remain confident though, knowing that he has enough firepower to trouble anyone on tour.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
What he will need to find is consistency to truly trouble the former world number one. If he can apply constant pressure and turn the match into a physical battle, he just might be able to take advantage of the clearly hampered Sinner and reach another Australian Open semi-final.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
