Ben Shelton predicted for greatness by Jannik Sinner after 2023 Vienna Open clash: "He will become a very difficult player to beat"

Ben Shelton has been predicted for greatness by Jannik Sinner despite the former having lost their most recent clash at the 2023 Vienna Open.

The two players have both seen a lot of success this season. Sinner won his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open and recently defeated Daniil Medvedev to win the China Open, which saw him break into the Top 4 in the ATP Ranking and ensured his qualification for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.

Meanwhile, Shelton made a breakthrough with his run to the semi-finals at the US Open, which saw him soar up the rankings to World No. 19. He then went on to win his first ATP title at the Japan Open last week, which pushed him into the Top 15.

Sinner and Shelton first faced each other at the 2023 Shanghai Masters earlier this month. The match was a showdown of powerful hitting that ended in the American winning in a tight three-set battle, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5).

However, their clash in the opening round of the Vienna Open ended in a win for Sinner after another closely contested encounter, 7-6 (2), 7-5. After the match, the Italian player praised his opponent and predicted great things for his future career.

"He has done very well in the last few months and this time was the same, just as I expected. As I said before the match, he’s a player who comes with a lot of confidence. He will become a very difficult player to beat. I think this has already been demonstrated in his last tournaments, also in our rivalry," he said.

The 22-year-old then shared more thoughts on the possibility of a future rivalry with Shelton.

"A rivalry with Shelton in the years to come? We have to move forward a little at a time. This time I managed to win the match, we'll see what happens in the next one. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season. I believe he can finish the year in a very positive way," he continued.