With winning his maiden ATP Tour title, some may think that Ben Shelton wouldn't be heading to the Vienna Open next week especially with Jannik Sinner lurking in the first round.
But fans will get that eagerly awaited match-up. Speaking post final, Shelton said that actually given his early defeats this season and not backing up wins, he feels fresh and ready to go.
He said that he is looking forward to going back to Europe and finishing the season strong. Only 1,500 points away from Turin, there is also an outside chance that Shelton could yet gatecrash that party.
“Earlier in the season I was losing early a lot of weeks. So my match count isn’t too high (smiling). I actually feel fairly fresh going into this last home stretch. Really looking forward to going back to Europe and finishing this indoor season strong," said Shelton.
Also during his post match speech, the hard work paid off and said that he isn't even close to what he can achieve yet.
“It meant a lot to me and my team. We’ve been working really hard since the beginning to build my game into something that could hopefully win titles on the ATP Tour. This is something I’ve been pushing for. I’ve made some deep runs lately.
"But you see the great champions. They finish weeks off. They win titles. They don’t just get to the semifinals or the finals. But they’re able to maintain their level all the way throughout the week. I’m not saying I’m anywhere near that yet. But to be able to do it 1 week and be consistent for 5 matches in a row and be able to win a title here in Tokyo is really special.”
Ben Shelton after winning 1st ATP title in Tokyo: “It meant a lot to me and my team. We’ve been working really hard since the beginning to build my game into something that could hopefully win titles on the ATP Tour. This is something I’ve been pushing for. I’ve made some deep…
