Shelton's Kryptonite?

Don't worry, Ben, you are not the only one who struggles against Sinner...

Well, Shelton has now officially qualified for the ATP Finals. He has been able to play himself into form here in Paris, looking a lot better than in the previous tournaments. His returning and rally tolerance are looking quite good, but what is really causing damage, as usual, is his serve (and forehand to a slightly lesser extent). I also have the feeling he is feeling (extra) confident in himself. We have seen him really go after his shots. I've seen some really nice down/up-the-line shots from both his forehand and backhand! It seems like Shelton is really enjoying the atmosphere here, and hopefully, they can keep firing him up! However, note that he will be playing on center court for the first time (slower), while Sinner has already got matches under his belt there. What else should I say about Jannik's matches so far? Well, he had a few bumps along the road, which is the reason we are not seeing 6-2, 6-1 scorelines. We also saw him not at his best in Vienna, and he still won against a very good Zverev. He is having 8.5-9~ performance ratings when he is not at his best, that's what the rest of the top 20 have when they play one of their best matches...

So, Shelton really struggles to come away victorious against Jannik, but at least he is good at challenging him a bit by forcing some tiebreaks. His main issue in this matchup has been that Sinner has just been a way more complete player on return and from the baseline, which has made Shelton invisible on return. Ben's serve is not easy to break, not even for Sinner, but at least he gets a few looks while Shelton might as well go brew a coffee while Sinner is serving. Now, Shelton has improved in this area, but there is still a big difference. So yes, that's a huge obstacle to overcome. Some players might feel dejected after losing over and over like this to a player. For Shelton, I think he is a fighter and will keep trying to find solutions. He has leaped into the top 10, so I'm sure he is very eager to find ways to beat the elite players now! Let's focus on some of the good things... he is brave, he has big weapons, and he is someone who can take advantage of a rowdy atmosphere. Is it enough to make me believe that he will pull an upset here? Well, not so sure... perhaps the real question is: Can he keep it close enough for us to consider some bets on his side?