Ben Shelton's story started at the Australian Open last year, and this year, he'll start against returning Roberto Bautista Agut.
The young American electrified Australian crowds last year with an impressive combination of power and skill. The teenager was playing his first big event outside his country, and it was a tremendous run that got him to the second week.
Everybody was buzzing about it, and a few months after, Shelton would prove that the buzz was justified. A year later, he'll be back in Melbourne as one of the best players in the world, ready to do more damage.
It'll begin against an experienced veteran who is good enough to challenge anyone. Roberto Bautista Agut isn't the youngest anymore, but he can still trouble his opponents, making this a solid but challenging draw for Shelton.
Head-to-head:
Unsurprisingly, Shelton and Bautista Agut never played against each other. The advantage a few years ago would have been on the Spaniard's side, as he has that tricky style of play that could have given Shelton problems.
Nowadays, though, it's Shelton's to lose and for several reasons. He has too much power for the Spaniard, but there is a pretty big catch. He'll have to remain focused because Bautista Agut is not a player who will hit himself out of a match. The American has shades of that player, so he will need to stay fully focused if he hopes that things don't go badly.
Prediction:
Both players have played already. Bautista Agut was in action in Hong Kong, and he did well, but he lost early in Auckland. Shelton, on the other hand, lost early in Brisbane but looks pretty good in Auckland this week as he's through to the semi-final.
He actually bested Roberto Carballes Baena, a player who defeated Bautista Agut, to get to the semi-final. To make it simple, a good effort wins this for Shelton but a bad one could put him in danger of losing.
Prediction: Ben Shelton to win in four sets.
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