By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, August 26, 2024
Photo credit: Mubadala Citi DC Open
NEW YORK—Rush hour comes to court when Ben Shelton serves.
Last year, Shelton rocketed record service blasts of 149 miles an hour at the US Open.
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Today, Shelton slammed eight aces and only faced one break point in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 sweep of 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem to reach the US Open second round in the Austrian's final major match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
This is the first year the US Open is permitting fan movement throughout its stadiums, enabling fans to enter the stadiums at the end of games rather than during changeovers as was the previous rule.
Fan movement prompted Zheng Qinwen and Amanda Anisimova to pause a couple of times for fans to settle during their match on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Shelton, who played college tennis at Florida, said he's accustomed to the motion and is not bothered by fan movement.
"I noticed it, but once the point starts, I don't notice it," Shelton told the media. "I guess with college tennis I've played, you know, this UTS Tour, as well, there's a lot of situations where I've been in that's a lot crazier than a couple of people walking with drinks back to their seat, Honey Deuces."
The 2023 US Open semifinalist predicts some players will be bothered by fan movement this week, but says he's not fazed by fans coming and going.
"I don't really mind it," Shelton said. "I'm sure some players will be annoyed with it this week and maybe stop playing or hold up as long as they can.
"Yeah, I don't really care."
US Open Tournament Director Stacey Allaster calls the change "an important addition to the fan experience."
"We've always had free movement in the upper stands of Arthur Ashe, our stadiums, in the outer courts," Allaster said. "2024 we will introduce controlled movement in all of our stadiums. Each stadium is different. What we will implement is that fans will be allowed to move in between games versus in the past in between changeovers.
"That will be new. It will be new for everyone. We'll find our way through it. But we think this is an important addition to the fan experience at the US Open."