High Expectations

It's time for Shelton to shine at home!

While the last two Grand Slams (RG and Wimbledon) have been disappointing for Ben, at least he really found his groove in Canada, once again. I mean, have a look at his run in Montreal. He faced a lot of good opponents but managed to win the entire tournament without losing a set! There are also a lot of lopsided sets, something that is quite rare to see with Shelton (due to his weak return). He was absolutely monstrous there, just everything... his court coverage and defense were insane, his serve was almost untouchable, and just everything worked. Slightly slower courts with the high bounce are just perfect for him... allows him to have more chances on return, his kick serve is filthy, and he can hang in rallies and then deliver devastating shots when the time is right. As for Cincinnati, well... a first-round exit in straight-sets, of course! I don't want to pay too much attention to it; it was against a Faria who played really well, attacking tennis in different conditions where Shelton was unable to defend the same way as he did in Canada.

Anyway, it's probably not a bad thing that he gets a bit of rest and recharge for the USO, even if it must have been disappointing. Griekspoor is a pretty tough opening draw, since he has dangerous weapons and the ability to deliver in "big matches". However, there are major question marks about his health; he had to withdraw before getting started in Cincinnati due to an abdominal injury, which is notoriously difficult. He has been given the green light to go to the USO, but it seems like he is still deciding whether he will be fit or not to play. Yes, the abdominal injury worries me, since it is likely to impact his serving, which is his strength... (also Shelton's weakness is returning). I don't find Griekspoor to be a great problem-solver either; all I see from him is frustration and serve-and-volley over and over when the going gets tough. Quite simply, if he is somewhat healthy, he should be able to hang in there decently, due to the quality of his serve. If he is even slightly affected, I struggle to see him put up a competitive scoreline...