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Despite Ben Shelton’s Early Vienna Open Exit, Former Pro Dishes Out a Glaring Paris Masters Prophecy for the American – ‘ Could Just Light It Up’

Published 10/26/2023, 10:17 AM EDT

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The world of tennis has a huge network of pre-built and newly building connections among players. The ones that blessed the courts once with their performance but now sit behind the stands to watch rising stars grow also play a major role in making the tennis highlights. Ben Shelton, the young tennis star who has gained enough recognition this season, recently got caught up in such a connection.

As the 21-year-old managed to secure great positions at several tournaments this season, several profound tennis entities came up to appreciate his performance. As the fans took a strike of disappointment because of Ben Shelton’s defeat in Vienna, a 40-year-old recognized tennis personality’s words took the hopes high again.

Prakash Amritraj predicts good fortune for Ben Shelton in Paris

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Ben Shelton, the young rising star who managed to gain enough points this year, has supporters in the form of fans as well as prominent figures from the tennis world. Although the young star faced a defeat against Jannik Sinner at the ATP Vienna Open, he has been giving top players a tough time. Shelton even managed to defeat Sinner back at the Shanghai Masters. Shelton’s exceptional gameplay at the Laver Cup and in Tokyo has gained significant attention from the tennis community.

Former tennis pro, Prakash Amritraj, recently came up to speak for the 21-year-old American tennis star. He believes that Ben Shelton has a great chance to “achieve the unthinkable” by securing an evident spot at the upcoming Rolex Paris Masters tournament. As recorded on the latest episode of TC Live Podcast, the 40-year-old mentioned, “But with just a quick minute on Ben here, he’s playing all of the top players so tight all the time. He took out Sinner last time here and he was right there all the way through. I really think he’s got a great shot to be able to make Turin if he if he keeps this kind of tennis up.”

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However, this is not all, Amritaj has bigger predictions. He said, “He could have a big jump in Paris. His game fits well in the indoor season. I don’t know even though Ben did lose I mean he’s the kind of guy who could just light it up make the final or even win Paris something like that.” The prophecy of Amritaj is not based on any guesswork. His hopes are extracted from Shelton’s attitude towards the game.

The Indian-American’s analysis of Ben Shelton’s current form is positive, despite his recent defeat at the ATP Vienna Open. According to Amritaj, the young American possesses the potential to take his name up to the top at the tournament in Paris. Getting into the details, Amritraj wasn’t the only tennis figure who recognized the young potential. Several other famous names from the tennis world came forward to vouch for the young star.

Djokovic’s words of praise for Ben Shelton

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Ben Shelton’s performance graph experienced a quick rise this season. Because of the rapid growth, the 21-year-old caught the attention of not just the former tennis players, but the ones on the courts too. Serbian tennis legend Novak Djokovic also took his chance to appreciate the possibilities that the American brings to international tennis. He mentioned, “I think it’s great. It’s great that Ben Shelton, for example, a player who came from college tennis, is playing at the highest level, producing some amazing tennis.” Ben Shelton stands as a hero for all the upcoming tennis players who are still at college.

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As the ATP Vienna Open move ahead with Sinner advancing to the next round of the tournament, the world looks forward to seeing Ben Shelton again at the Rolex Paris Masters. With this word of appreciation based on a detailed form analysis by pro tennis players like Prakash Amritraj, fans now have more expectations from the young star. Will Shelton successfully handle the burden of expectations on him? Comment your thoughts below!

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Written by:

Akshay Kapoor

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Akshay Kapoor is a tennis writer at Essentially Sports. With a commendable experience of around 2 years in sports journalism under his belt, Akshay joined ES with the intention of taking the next step in honing his skills. Born into a family that practically breathes tennis, Akshay spent his early days huddled together with his loved ones, watching the electrifying rallies of the legendary Rafael Nadal.
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Edited by:

Shudh.mukherjee