Ben Shelton might be the strongest candidate to end the long drought of the US Open champions from the United States. The hard-serving lefty had stated that breaking the drought would be inevitable this time. Coming as the 13th seed, Shelton will start with the first-round match against the 2020 champion, Dominic Thiem.
Two tennis legends, John McEnroe and Chris Evert had chosen him. Evert believed that the powerful lefty serve would be the main power Shelton had to clinch the US Open title. “I just think he gets so many free points off that serve. I’m going to pick him to do the best of American players,” Evert said.
Ben Shelton and Dominic Thiem’s Last Meeting
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The last time Ben Shelton met Dominic Thiem was at the same event last year. These two met in the US Open second round, with Shelton advancing after Thiem was forced to retire in the second set. This time, Ben Shelton is fueled with a lot of confidence after seeing the improvement in the ranking of American players over the last four years. But at least he almost did that last year before losing the eventual champion, Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
He is now seeking a better result this time and become the first American male to win this event since Andy Roddick in 2003. Last year at Flushing Meadow, Shelton knocked out his opponent with his big serve, including hitting two aces at 149 miles per hour.
Dominic Thiem Looking To Recapture Magic
The 30-year-old Dominic Thiem is coming to this year’s US Open as the 145th-ranked player. Nearly four years after winning this tournament in 2020, the Austrian will try to recapture that magic. Tennis fans will get to see over these next few weeks if he will be able to do so.
This will be tough for Thiem, who has not been at his best in 2024. He only claimed two tour-level titles this year. Thiem – an aggressive baseline player – might be using his defense as his main power to face Ben Shelton. But still, it is hard to play against Ben Shelton, the home crowd favorite.
Thiem’s record in Grand Slams is also not impressive. He has been knocked out of the opening round in seven of his previous nine Grand Slam appearances. But at least, he had a promising start last year. He upset Alexander Bublik, the 25th seed at the time, in straight sets, 6-3 6-2 6-4.
Thiem Looking To Extend Career
The first-round meeting with Ben Shelton may be the final time we see Dominic Thiem on the tennis court. He had decided to do his last Grand Slams with the hope of creating a new unforgettable experience and bidding farewell to the great audience.
With the honor to face Dominic Thiem, Ben Shelton gives a tribute to him: “When I was starting to get into tennis, that was one of the guys who was killing it on TV every single week,” he said. Shelton is joined by fellow American Taylor Fritz (12th seed), Tommy Paul (14th seed), Sebastian Korda (16th seed), and Frances Tiafoe (20th seed). Who will be the first of that group to win a slam?
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