Ben Shelton has not been having a good time at Shanghai Masters so far. He has played in three matches so far and has been making news for his attitude on the court. Shelton partnered with Hubert Hurkacz in the doubles competition, but the pair lost in the opening round. The match first saw Shelton being compared to Novak Djokovic after he held the umbrellas and offered a seat to the ballkid.
Shelton and Hurkacz lost to Cameron Norrie and Rinky Hijikata. At the beginning of the third set, the chair umpire awarded the point to Norrie and Hijikata as he felt that Hurkacz had made contact with the net.
The young American defended Hurkacz by saying that he did not make contact over the net. But the chair umpire disagreed, and the 21-year-old asked for a challenge but could not get it as there was no camera for it.
— Yoni draws Hubi😊🧸🦁💜 (@Hurkacz_fanart) October 9, 2023
The Polish player was also not happy with the chair umpire. Hurkacz was sure that he did not make contact with the net. Play was halted for a few minutes, but the pair eventually agreed with the decision. Once play was resumed, Norrie and Hijikata went on to win the match 7-5, 5-7, 10-6. Hurkacz and Shelton will now focus on the singles competition as both players have reached the fourth round.
Ben Shelton faces challenging duel at the Shanghai Masters
The fourth-round matches have begun at the Shanghai Masters. One of the most awaited matches will be Ben Shelton versus Jannik Sinner. Both players are meeting for the first time on tour. While Sinner is the favorite, given his current form, he shall be aware of Shelton’s serve and forehand. The Italian is on a match-winning streak and also won the China Open last week.
The world No.20 lost a set against Roman Safiullin in the third round. Meanwhile, Sinner has also lost a set against Sebastian Baez in the previous match. Shelton currently has one of the fastest serves on the tour and poses a threat on the hard court. Sinner can use his groundstrokes to effectively move his opponents on the court.
A HUGE first meeting between @janniksin and @BenShelton awaits🍿#RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/mf6t7QDHVl
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) October 8, 2023
The fans will be behind Sinner during the match, but Shelton’s tactics can shift the momentum. The US Open semifinalist will try to come towards the net to finish the points early. Sinner is tough to beat from the baseline as his groundstrokes get stronger towards the end of the rallies. The left-hander has a tough task at the Shanghai Masters and will be playing to survive the test.