Drippy. Rizzin. Clean. These are words that young people in Melbourne use when they want to describe what Ben Shelton is doing at this Australian Open, for example against the Italian Lorenzo Sonego in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. The three terms are reserved for someone who can afford charismatic self-confidence because of their abilities. So for a man who unsuccessfully chases a ball in the tiebreak of the fourth set, falls into the boards and does two push-ups before getting up. Who, after a sly serve, catches the returned ball with the racket frame at the next point and easily passes it on to the ball boy. He then chases the opening over the net at 221 km/h and the subsequent forehand into the corner of the court at 155 km/h. After winning 6:4, 7:5, 4:6, 7:6 (4), he is in the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament for the second time at the age of 22.
At the US Open 2023, the American Ben Shelton caused a sensation for the first time. He enchanted the audience with the youthful madness that New Yorkers love so much and that can be seen both in his style of play and between rallies: every point should be a spectacle, whether it’s a serve at a tournament record speed (232 km/h) or topspin -Lob from the full sprint or a stopped ball from the opponent plus a no-look passing ball.
Shelton then takes the audience into his emotional world – in a friendly way, even after losing points like in the second set against Sonego. An example: a backhand cross ball passed at full speed, which the Italian only reaches with a dive and touches with the frame in such a way that, due to the backward spin, it bounces back over the net to Sonego’s side after jumping up. Others would get upset or despair, especially after a break ball like in this situation. Shelton, however, congratulated his jubilant rival with a smiling handshake. How can you not have one like that? drippy find?
Daniil Medvedev and Taylor Fritz left the tournament early
His only flaw so far: He hasn’t played against someone who – the last youth word from Melbourne – goated with the sauce is: blessed with pretty much everything it takes to win a Grand Slam. Because Shelton benefited from the draw and tournament in Melbourne. He was in that quarter of the originally 128-player table that also included the favorites Daniil Medvedev (Russia) and Taylor Fritz (USA); Only Fritz lost to veteran Gael Monfils, who was so exhausted two days later that he had to give up against Shelton after three sets. Medvedev lost to US teenager Learner Tien in a second-round match that lasted until three in the morning. The young Tien then lost to Sonego – who had previously defeated former Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka and the 16-year-old Brazilian phenomenon Joao Fonseca and had spent a total of almost 13 hours on the court until the quarter-finals: Sonego came in the match against Shelton then finally on the gums.
As fate would have it, the highest seeded player Shelton had to defeat on the way to the semifinals was Italian Lorenzo Musetti (number 16).
That’s not his fault: he beat everyone he met in Melbourne. In the semifinals on Friday, however, the most difficult opponent you can face awaits you: defending champion Jannik Sinner from Italy, number one in the tennis world, who humourlessly defeated the new Australian folk hero Alex de Minaur 6:3, 6:2, 6:1 in the quarterfinals handled. Shelton commented on Sinner’s role as favorite as follows: “Great opportunity to play against the best in the world – then you can see where you really stand.”
Sinner is also the favorite of the crowds in Melbourne, and Shelton wanted to say something about that when he spoke to journalists: “It’s shocking how TV reporters treat players here,” he says, generalizing: “First the guy who insults Novak. Then someone tells me that Monfils could be my father. And today someone asked me after the match how it was that no one would be cheering for me in the semi-finals. That was disrespectful. He had just celebrated one of his greatest successes on one of the biggest stages. “There doesn’t have to be something so negative.” This appearance is also something that the Australians have drippy find.