It’s an all-American clash in the Shanghai quarterfinals as U.S. Open finalist Ben Shelton takes on compatriot Sebastian Korda for the first time on Thursday.
American men’s tennis has experienced a resurgence in recent years — a charge led by a crop of young, talented players who count both Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda among their number. Korda hit the “bigtime” first, but a slew of injuries and some untimely illnesses has kept him from a major breakthrough as of yet. Shelton turned pro a little more than a year ago and already finds himself in the top 20, with a Grand Slam quarterfinal (Australia) and semifinal (New York) to his credit.
This will be the first meeting between the two men. Shelton with his booming serve and monster groundstrokes should be an interesting contrast to Korda’s more controlled approach to the game. While the world No. 26 has an aggressive style of play, he rarely plays lights-out tennis. The outcome of Thursday’s match may well come down to whether Shelton has a good serving day or not.
The 20 year-old has one of the fiercest serves in the ATP. In fact, he smacked a 149 mph bomb at the U.S. Open last month. But as his first set against Jannik Sinner proved in the fourth round this week, if he isn’t serving well he is vulnerable (Sinner won the first set 6-2 before Shelton staged a comeback). Korda has a rock solid all-court game and will take advantage if Shelton has a dip in form.
This one should be entertaining. Korda is a more strategic player but is prone to nerves when he is trying to close out a match. Shelton is mentally tough but sometimes lacks backup game-plans when things go awry.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 3
Ricky pick: Shelton in 3
who ya got?
Ben seems to be lapping Seb.