Whether he likes it or not, Ben Shelton and late-night thrillers have become a thing now. Remember the five-set thriller he snatched from Lorenzo Sonego at the French Open earlier this season? The American ATP pro came back from two sets down to snatch his victory from the brink of defeat. “This was a tough one for sure,” the 22-year-old later exclaimed. And this week, the rising talent once again showed his fighting spirit and never-give-up attitude against an equally capable young lad, on Friday night in Toronto.
Last week, it was Tiafoe, and this time, Brandon Nakashima. Seems like Shelton can’t catch a break when it comes to facing tough challenges from his own compatriots. Nakashima almost sent Shelton packing bags at the Canadian Open. Not to mention the late night that weather was playing spoilsport for him. But he stayed firm. The American took the first set, but lost the second one before making a triumphant return. In the decider, he bested Nakashima in a tight tiebreak battle. He eventually entered the fourth round with a score-line of 6-7, 6-2, 7-6(5). In the end, his reaction of relief said it all.
During the on-court interview, Shelton spoke of the harsh court conditions, given his late-night scheduling. But all’s well that ends well, right? “For me, playing a late night match, the last match of the night, is never easy. Especially when the temperature cools down like this, different conditions.” He then mentioned the biggest source of motivation for him on the court. “But you know having a full crowd, seeing so much energy throughout the crowd here and the noise after every point is huge for me. It’s something that I live for and I am really happy with this win.”
Sport Bilder des Tages TENNIS AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Ben Shelton of USA reacts during his round three match against Lorenzo Musetti of Italy during the 2025 Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Saturday, January 18, 2025. ACHTUNG: NUR REDAKTIONELLE NUTZUNG, KEINE ARCHIVIERUNG UND KEINE BUCHNUTZUNG MELBOURNE VICTORIA AUSTRALIA PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxAUSxNZLxPNGxFIJxVANxSOLxTGA Copyright: xLUKASxCOCHx 20250118173843114702
This story is developing…
The post Ben Shelton’s Honest Scheduling Take Turns Heads After Gritty Nighttime Canadian Open Win appeared first on EssentiallySports.