Ben Shelton made his Wimbledon debut and as always, the young American showcased his full repertoire of shots during the match.
The 20-year-old American managed to somehow prove himself in a very short time on the ATP Tour. It all started last year at few lower-tier events, and Shelton soon translated his success also to the ATP Tour.
He made it to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, and his success continued also beyond that. Shelton experienced many firsts, including the clay and grass-court parts of the ATP season, which he fully experiences for the first time in 2023.
Moreover, Shelton is seeded on his Wimbledon debut and his dad even compared him to Pete Sampras ahead of the event. The 20-year-old trusts himself a lot, and his confidence shows in the All England Club.
In the first round of the competition, the American played against Taro Daniel from Japan and it was a really challenging match against a player that has a few upsets under his belt, and beating a seeded player at Wimbledon could be another one.
But after winning the first two sets 6-4, 6-3, Shelton was able to win the match despite losing the third and fourth sets. After three hours and eight minutes, the American triumphed 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3 to win his first-ever Wimbledon match.
On his way to the win, Shelton hit some sensational shots. One of them came after a powerful forehand, which forced his opponent to stand far behind the baseline, prompting the 20-year-old to charge the net.
Attempting to play a half-volley, Shelton slipped on the grass, however, that didn't mean a missed shot. The American still managed to put the ball into the court and even hit a winner despite falling while doing so. He will surely want to showcase the same shot-making also in his second-round match against Laslo Djere from Serbia.
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