Shelton Delivering Harm with Softer Contact

By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, August 29, 2024
Picture credit score: Mike Lawrence/US Open/USTA

NEW YORK—Demolition professional Ben Shelton is dishing out injury with gentler contact at this US Open.

A yr in the past, Shelton served with the drive of a person attempting to carry down the again wall in his impressed run to the US Open semifinals.

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Tennis’ lefty grasp blaster rocketed a pair of 149 mph missiles twice in the identical recreation throughout his 2023 US Open fourth-round conquest of compatriot Tommy Paul.

Instantly afterward, Shelton mentioned bringing that type of extreme warmth can carry burning penalties.

“I feel [it was] straight adrenaline,” Shelton mentioned. “Another ambiance, I don’t suppose I might get it completed. I feel my arm would possibly fall off.”

This yr, Shelton has deliberately toned down the amount of his screaming serve. The outcomes have nonetheless been profound.

Shelton has scored straight-sets win over 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem and former Wimbledon semifinalist Roberto Bautista Agut. In these six units, Shelton has surrendered simply 9 factors on his first serve—and saved all three break factors he confronted.

Nonetheless, Shelton rocked the radar gun at 141 mph closing the curtain on Bautista Agut.

The Thirteenth-seeded Shelton mentioned he’s discovered his rhythm serving smarter as a substitute of attempting to muscle the ball quicker.

“After I say I am just a little bit extra of an clever participant, I feel I am getting by my service video games this yr with out having to mild up the radar gun to do it,” Shelton mentioned. “Everybody within the crowd is screaming 150, 145, 150, however I discovered a very good groove maxing out at 134, 135 miles an hour.”

Clock administration is ache administration for Shelton, who says serving within the mid 130s is kinder and softer on his serving shoulder then unleashing screaming 148 mph missiles that electrified Arthur Ashe Stadium final yr.

The 21-year-old Shelton is hoping firming down the tempo a bit will save his arm energy for a second-week run.

“It sounds humorous, but when I can keep just a little bit decrease at, like, 135 [mph], I do not actually have the shoulder soreness or ache after matches that I definitely had final yr,” Shelton mentioned. “I feel it is actually essential as a result of it was one thing that was developing for me after I acquired to the second week of slams that my arm was fairly drained, however I’ve gotten just a little bit higher at hitting spots.

“If I hit a spot at 135 or I hit it anyplace within the field at 147, it is typically the identical outcome. So I feel that my serving model is just a little bit totally different this yr than final yr.”

The Floridian not solely bruised the again wall in Arthur Ashe Stadium, he turned athlete into viewers: Tommy Paul stood and applauded together with the opposite 24,000-plus followers packed into Ashe Stadium after Shelton launched a pair of 149 mph missiles—the quickest serves of the match—within the fifth recreation of the third set of that 2023 fourth-round match.

It’s not simply pure tempo that makes Shelton’s serve so powerful to learn.

The left-hander can curl the deadly slice serve vast on the advert aspect, kick within the shoulder-high bounding serve or carry straight risky fuel down the T.

The mix of Shelton’s ability placing your complete serve spectrum—mixed together with his recognition to play first-strike tennis together with his forehand—can disarm even elite opponents.

“He is acquired an excellent jumpy serve. He was going after his second serves actually aggressive right this moment, which wasn’t enjoyable,” Paul mentioned. “He gave me, like, no rhythm the entire match. You understand, the traditional stuff whenever you’re enjoying a man who’s a server — or, I imply, he is not only a server. He can clearly run down plenty of balls.”

Shelton might want to fluctuate his serve—and typically carry the warmth down the T—in his third-round showdown vs. buddy Frances Tiafoe. That rematch of a historic 2023 US Open quarterfinal—the primary time two black American males met within the US Open quarters—will ship the winner into the fourth spherical in opposition to defending champion Novak Djokovic or Montreal champion Alexei Popyrin, who beat Shelton 6-4, 7-6(4) en path to his greatest profession title on the Canadian Open earlier this month.

Location might be extra problematic than pure tempo on the Flushing Meadows exhausting courts.

It’s price noting Corridor of Famer Pete Sampras, who seldom served over 130 mph however remains to be considered one of many recreation’s biggest serves, holds the US Open Open Period document for many aces in a match with 144 aces in profitable his farewell match on the 2002 US Open.

In actual fact, Sampras’ 141 aces hit on the 1995 US Open is the second highest ace complete in Flushing Meadows historical past.