Shelton Moves Forward to the Semifinals

Vegas Tennis Team
3 Min Read

Twenty-two-year-old American tennis sensation Ben Shelton has stormed into the semifinals of the Australian Open, defeating Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(4).

This marks Shelton’s second major semifinal appearance, following his remarkable run at the US Open in 2023.

The left-handed player is known for his explosive serve, powerful forehand, and an abundance of confidence and determination.

Notably, he is the only lefty out of nineteen competitors who entered this year’s men’s singles draw. The last left-handed player to clinch the Australian Open title was Rafael Nadal, who triumphed in 2009 and 2022.

In the opening set, Shelton secured a crucial break at 3-all, while he broke Sonego again at 4-all in the second set. With his exceptional serve variety, Shelton kept Sonego guessing, often leaving him struggling to respond.

Shelton Moves Forward to the Semifinals

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However, at 5-4, Sonego delivered an impressive game to break back, igniting the crowd’s excitement as he seemed to find his rhythm.

Shelton quickly regained his momentum with a brilliant cross-court shot, followed by a missed forehand from Sonego, securing the set with a stunning forehand down the line and his reliable overhead.

As the third set unfolded, Sonego discovered his form, replicating Shelton’s aggressive style with powerful serves and forehands, alongside clever serve-and-volley plays and dropshots. He managed to break Shelton at 5-4.

The intensity peaked in the fourth set, with both competitors holding serve until the tiebreak. Shelton took the initiative with two points on Sonego’s serve, leading 32. After a smash from Sonego leveled it at 3-all, Shelton responded with a stunning forehand winner but stumbled while stretching for the next shot. Remarkably, he recovered with a playful push-up and a smile before landing an unstoppable second serve and a crushing forehand to seal the match.

Throughout the match, Shelton recorded 9 aces against three double faults, while Sonego delivered four aces with one double fault. Shelton achieved 54 winners compared to Sonego’s 63, though he also had 33 unforced errors to Sonego’s 55.

In his post-match on-court interview, Shelton expressed his joy, stating: “I feel relieved right now; shoutout to Lorenzo Sonego for some ridiculous tennis.”

I’m just really thrilled to advance, especially with my first win on Rod Laver Arena. A big thank you to everyone for coming out; this was one of my all-time favorite matches.”

Next up for Shelton is the top seed and defending champion Jannik Sinner, who dispatched home favorite Alex de Minaur in straightforward fashion: 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.

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