Ben Shelton: ‘I think I really created something special in Tokyo last year’ | ATP Tour
In Tokyo
Shelton: ‘I think I did something special in Tokyo last year’
World No. 17 begins its title defense in Tokyo on Wednesday
September 26, 2024
Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
Ben Shelton won the 2023 Kinoshita Group Japan Open.
By ATP staff
Tokyo is a special place for Ben Shelton. After all, it’s the city where last October the much-loved American captured his first ATP Tour title.
Almost a year later, the 21-year-old, who reached the World-high No.
“It makes me happy to play here again,” Shelton said. “A lot of people talk about the pressure to protect something. I think I play my best tennis in cities where I have fond memories.”
[ALSO LIKE]Shelton entered the 2023 Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships just a month after achieving a career-best result at the US Open, where she reached the semifinals. The American entered the Tokyo Grand Slam undefeated and played in the same division as Top 10 players Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev.
While both Zverev and Ruud fell in the first and second rounds, respectively, Shelton’s approach presented its own challenges. Three separate matches required three sets, and in each instance, the 21-year-old started the match with an opening set loss.
Despite winning his first title, the American believes his impressive performance in Tokyo in 2023 has won him more fans in Japan.
“My courts are full this year. “I think I did something special in Tokyo last year,” Shelton said. “It was a very good run for me, and I think it was unexpected for me.”
Shelton’s title defense will begin Wednesday against Reilly Opelka. While Shelton defeated Opelka in two straight breaks in the first round of the recent Cincinnati Open, the 21-year-old expects another tough challenge from his fellow American. This will be their second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting.
“He plays a seven-footer who knows how to do tricks. It’s difficult. You’re not going to feel comfortable out there on the court,” Shelton said. “Obviously we are good friends. I was able to do it in Cincinnati, but I don’t expect it to be easy.”
Source link
