Back at the scene of the climb 📈 Last year's quarterfinalist @benshelton gets past Bautista Agut 6-2 7-6(2) 7-5. #AusOpen • #AO2024
No ranking slump for Ben Shelton after early Australian Open defeat here's why
ATPSunday, 21 January 2024 at 22:30
Ben Shelton
emerged practically unscathed from his early elimination at the Australian
Open. The world No. 16 exited in the third round and couldn't defend his
quarterfinal appearance from the 2023 AO, but the point gap he maintained over
the players behind him keeps him in the same position for now.
The young
American couldn't overcome Adrian Mannarino, who moved up to world No. 17 and
was subsequently eliminated by Novak Djokovic. Shelton made a name for himself
in the tennis elite after his impressive campaign in Melbourne in 2023, and
despite an uneven year, late-year results elevated him to the top 15.
Defending
points won't be a concern for Shelton in the coming months. The 20-year-old
only reached the second round in six of the seven Masters 1000 events before
the US Open (and in the remaining one, Monte-Carlo, he fell in the first
round). With his seeding position secured, Shelton will receive byes in several
early rounds of these tournaments, allowing each victory to contribute to his
point total.
Other
significant opportunities lie in the Grand Slam events. He exited in the first
round of the French Open and the second round at Wimbledon, providing
additional chances to climb in the rankings.
Shelton
didn't secure consecutive ATP-level victories between the Australian Open in
January 2023 and the US Open in August of the same year. He managed consecutive
wins only in the Challenger event in Cagliari, where he secured two victories
before bowing out in the semifinals.
After the
Australian Open, Shelton will be positioned as world No. 16 with 1965 points,
just over 1000 points behind Stefanos Tsitsipas (3025), who will occupy the No.
10 spot starting Monday. Over the next eight months, Shelton will defend just
over 300 points, placing him in a strong position to target a spot in the top
10 throughout the year.
The major
point defenses for Shelton will only kick in from September, with the
semifinals of the US Open (720 points), followed by defending quarterfinals at
the Shanghai Masters 1000 (180 points) and the ATP 500 Tokyo Open title.
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