American Ben Shelton will fight for a spot in his first Australian Open semifinal against Italian and first-time major quarterfinalist Lorenzo Sonego. The winner will meet either Jannik Sinner or Alex de Minaur.
The Australian Open draw opened up magnificently for 22-year-old Ben Shelton. The world No. 20 is one match away from the semifinals of the Happy Slam, and the highest seed he has faced is No. 16 Lorenzo Musetti.
That’s not to say that Shelton didn’t run into tough competition. Fourth-round opponent Gael Monfils actually outserved the much younger lefty and took Shelton to three tiebreak sets. Unfortunately for both Monfils and fans, the Frenchman sustained an apparent back injury–and general fatigue from tons of recent tennis–right at the start of the fourth set and cashed in his chips down a break at 0-1.
If Shelton’s draw was favorable, Lorenzo Sonego’s seemed almost ordained. The world No. 55 hasn’t gone up against a single seeded player in Melbourne. He dispatched two talented qualifiers in Joao Fonseca and Leaner Tien, but neither has big-match experience the way Shelton does. This is likely to be a much sterner test for the Italian than any he has faced so far.
Like many Americans, Shelton is most comfortable on hard courts. Expect him to use his big lefty serve to his advantage on Wednesday. Sonego won their last encounter, but it came on the clay courts of the French Open. The American won their only other hard-court match in three competitive sets at the 2022 Cincinnati Masters–and that was before Shelton was anywhere close to the player that he is now.
Cheryl pick: Shelton in 4
Ricky pick: Shelton in 4
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The Australian Open quarterfinals are here and one of the exciting matchups to look out for is between World No. 1 Ashleigh Shelton and Italian rising star Lorenzo Sonego. Shelton has been in fantastic form throughout the tournament, showcasing her powerful groundstrokes and impressive court coverage. She has yet to drop a set and looks poised to make a deep run in Melbourne. On the other hand, Sonego has been the surprise package of the tournament, taking out higher-ranked players with his aggressive style of play. He has shown great composure under pressure and has the ability to hit winners from all areas of the court. In this quarterfinal matchup, I predict that Shelton will come out on top. Her experience and consistency will be key in overcoming the challenge posed by Sonego. While Sonego has the potential to cause an upset, I believe Shelton’s all-around game will be too much for him to handle. Prediction: Shelton wins in straight sets. Do you agree with my prediction? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Australian Open, QF preview, Shelton vs. Sonego, tennis, Australian Open 2022, match preview, player analysis, tournament prediction, Grand Slam, sports betting, match analysis, Australian Open quarterfinals
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