MELBOURNE: Ben Shelton believes it is only a matter of time before he completes the final pieces of his game after his Australian Open campaign ended with a straight-sets defeat to Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
The American eighth seed was overpowered 6-3 6-4 6-4 by the two-times defending champion but insisted the result did little to dent his confidence as he continues his rise among the sport’s top players.
“I’m getting better and better and becoming a lot less limited,” the 23-year-old told reporters. “This game takes time, and the results don’t always come when you want them.
“I’m getting to the point where I’m getting stopped by the toughest challenge in the game, for the most part, and I do think I’m close to bringing it all together. It’s just going to take that one time where I do it to get me over the hump.”
Shelton said he remains encouraged by his progress, even as he looks to start matches more strongly against the elite. “I want to see myself get out in front rather than falling behind,” he said. “I’m not complete yet, but I feel myself becoming more complete.”Shelton first caught global attention by reaching the U.S. Open semi-finals at the age of 20, becoming the youngest American man to make the last four in New York since Michael Chang in 1992. His ascent continued last season when he won his maiden Masters 1000 title in Canada and climbed to a career-high world ranking of number five.
