Cometh the US Open, cometh Ben Shelton! The American sensation will be one of the biggest names among the local stars in action at the last Grand Slam tournament of the season. In fact, it was this very tournament two years back when Shelton announced himself on the big stage by reaching the semifinals of that event. A couple of years later, he is one of America’s biggest hopes to win the tournament. Ahead of the extravaganza in New York, Shelton showed off never-seen-before skills.
Shelton is a big fan of the NBA and has also attended games in the arenas. He admires Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and channels his determination and energy on the court. On this occasion, Shelton took the basketball in his hands and took aim at the net after a practice session.
He is currently in Toronto, where he is playing in the National Bank Open. As he was sat on a golf buggy, Shelton got a ball in his hand and aimed at the net while the vehicle was moving. Shelton got his aim on point, and it was a smooth swish! While Shelton has kept this skill hidden, his latest move showed off that he could be a good basketball player, along with his exploits on the tennis court.
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Meanwhile, Shelton has also been seen linking up with some NBA stars and hanging out with them. A few months back, he played tennis in Mallorca with ex-NBA star Rudy Fernandez. The American sensation was surprised by Fernandez’s tennis abilities as he picked up a racket and was engaged in a few rallies. “He’s a better tennis player than I was expecting. He told me that he plays golf sometimes with Rafa [Nadal], so maybe something has rubbed off from Rafa because his forehand is pretty good,” Shelton admitted.
Further, on the tennis front, Shelton has been on a continuous rise this season. Ahead of the US Open, he pointed out two key areas where he is trying to improve.
Ben Shelton makes a candid confession about his game
With gradual improvement over the past few months, Shelton is hoping to bank on his form at the US Open Swing. Despite a massive improvement in his game, there are still a couple of areas where Shelton feels that he needs to work on. During an interview at the National Bank Open, he opened up about his game.
Shelton revealed, “For me, I’m finding the game style that works no matter who I’m playing. The way that I’m serving, how to be an effective server against anybody. The returners are so good on tour nowadays that you’ve got to be smart about the way you serve. You can’t just serve big. So I’m getting better and better at hitting spots, hitting my, you know, 140, 145 serves, but also hitting kickers at times. And then how to take away time. How to rush people, but still feel like I’m comfortable in playing at the speed I want to play.”
Further, he went on to add, “So controlling the court is really important for a player like me who likes to be on offence all the time, and I’m just finding my way to do that, not only against every guy on tour, but also the guys at the top.”
Shelton will next be seen in action in the round of 32 clash in Toronto. He will take on his compatriot, Brandon Nakashima, in what promises to be an exciting clash.
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