Ben Shelton will get to take on Jannik Sinner at the 2024 Indian Wells Open, and he’s looking forward to the match.
Over the past six months, the Italian has been arguably the best player on the ATP Tour. There are only two men that managed to beat him in that period. One of them is the 24-time Grand Slam champion, Novak Djokovic, and the other is his fourth-round opponent in Indian Wells, Ben Shelton.
The American bested Sinner in Shanghai last year, and he will want to do the same in front of the home crowd in California. He almost didn’t get to the match, as he had to fight hard to outplay Francisco Cerundolo.
After that match, the 21-year-old spoke on the court, previewing his match against the world no. 3, who will be favourite given his incredible form, but if there’s someone who can stop him, it’s certainly Shelton.
“I think it’s just one of those matches where you know it’s gonna be a physical war. You know how physical he is and the way he plays, how aggressive he is. And it’s just one of those matches that you know you’re gonna have to play aggressive, take your chances, and be confident out on the court.”
With the home crowd support, the American will be able to extract the little extra bit of energy that is often needed to beat the best of the best.
On top of that, Shelton already has an experience of playing against Sinner, and even beating him, so he clearly knows what to expect and what it will take to beat him.
“I have two matches under my belt against him. Both on hard courts last year, so I’m just really looking forward to it. The way he’s been playing lately, I’m sure it’s gonna be an amazing crowd out here. Those are the type of matches I live for.”
