By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 11, 2023
Ben Shelton may be an unfinished product on the tennis court, and he may have managed a record of 8-18 since his trip to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but the fact remains: Shelton hits one of the biggest balls on the tour.
Just ask Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated the American in second-round action, 6-3, 7-6(3), on Wednesday night in Toronto.
“You know, honestly, I never played against someone that hit the ball as hard as he hit,” Alcaraz said. “It's something crazy. You know, some serves at 235. Honestly, I almost broke my string.”
Alcaraz handled the challenge well, converting one of his three break points and winning 30 percent of his first-serve return points (9 of 37).
Nevertheless, 41st-ranked Shelton possesses the type of first-strike game that could potentially cause problems for Alcaraz in the future. Keep an eye on the rivalry.
“He's going to be over there a long time, I'm sure,” Shelton said of his fellow 20-year-old. “We are going to play so many matches more.
“He's really, really tough. So he's a real aggressive one. He didn't let me play my game that is aggressive going to the net.”