Ben Shelton has advanced to the Dallas Open third round after defeating Gabriel Diallo on Tuesday.
The American second seed produced a fine performance against the big-serving Canadian, winning the contest 6-4, 6-4.
Shelton utilised his serve to great effect, despite landing only 58 per cent of his first serves. The 23-year-old hit 13 aces and won 82 per cent of his first serve points against Diallo.
Remarkably, Shelton also won 73 per cent of his second-serve points against the Canadian 24-year-old.
Shelton’s serve and forehand are his greatest weapons. However, he does lack the variety needed to disrupt the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner – whom he has struggled against in the past.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
However, with the American now working on his slice, his struggles against the ATP’s top two players could be about to end.
Ben Shelton’s slice could make the difference against Jannik Sinner
Ben Shelton has lost nine consecutive matches against Jannik Sinner, dating back to the 2023 Vienna Open.
There are two key reasons for Sinner’s dominance in this matchup: the Italian’s ability to take time away from Shelton and his superior backhand groundstroke
However, the slice backhand could be the key to Shelton turning the tide against Sinner.
In an interview with the Tennis Channel, Shelton revealed he has been working on his slice, before explaining the reasons behind this focus.
“For me, it’s intentional when I use the slice” he said. “The guys are so good from the baseline now, such rhythm players, and if you are hitting the ball hard all the time they are hitting it back even better.
“For me, the slice is a great opportunity to change the rhythm of the point and get the guy off balance and depending who I am playing, even use it offensively.
“I think it’s something I am trying to add to my game and get a little bit better each and every year while I try and improve my two handed backhand as well.”
Shelton is absolutely correct in his assessment.
Aside from Novak Djokovic, no other ATP Tour player is able to match up well against the groundstroke games of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
Which member of the ‘Big Three’ is Carlos Alcaraz most similar to? Let us know why below👇
Therefore, disrupting the pace of play and the rhythm is a vital tactical element that must be utilised when playing Sinner and Alcaraz.
If Shelton can improve this shot to a point where it is a reliable asset against the top two, he could find himself challenging for major titles in the near future.
Shelton’s one win against Jannik Sinner
At the 2023 Shanghai Masters, Ben Shelton and Jannik Sinner faced off for the first time on the ATP Tour.
After losing the first set, Shelton fought back to win a thriller, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6.
“I had a lot of belief in my ability to serve and hang tough and to make it deep in sets,” Shelton said after the match.
| Tournament | Winner | Score |
| 2023 Shanghai Masters | Ben Shelton | 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2023 Vienna Open | Jannik Sinner | 7-6, 7-5 |
| 2024 Indian Wells | Jannik Sinner | 7-6, 6-1 |
| 2024 Wimbledon | Jannik Sinner | 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2024 Shanghai Masters | Jannik Sinner | 6-4, 7-6 |
| 2025 Australian Open | Jannik Sinner | 7-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 2025 Wimbledon | Jannik Sinner | 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 2025 Paris Masters | Jannik Sinner | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 2025 ATP Finals | Jannik Sinner | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 2026 Australian Open | Jannik Sinner | 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 |
“I trusted my fitness levels, being able to go the distance. That gave me a lot of confidence.
“My serve wasn’t working that well in the first set, I felt that he was really on top of me. I really started to find my groove and had one of my best serving days in the second and third sets.”
