“I never played against someone that hit the ball as hard”

By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday August 11, 2023

Ben Shelton may be an unfinished product on the tennis court, and he may have managed a record of 8-18 since his trip to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open, but the fact remains: Shelton hits one of the biggest balls on the tour.

Just ask Carlos Alcaraz, who defeated the American in second-round action, 6-3, 7-6(3), on Wednesday night in Toronto.

“You know, honestly, I never played against someone that hit the ball as hard as he hit,” Alcaraz said. “It’s something crazy. You know, some serves at 235. Honestly, I almost broke my string.”

Alcaraz handled the challenge well, converting one of his three break points and winning 30 percent of his first-serve return points (9 of 37).

World no. 1 🇪🇸Carlos Alcaraz debuted last night in Toronto with a 6-3, 7-6 win over 🇺🇸Ben Shelton.

In his post match, he said he was amazed by the power and pace of Shelton’s ball.

“Honestly I’ve never played against someone that hits the ball as hard as him”#NBO23 pic.twitter.com/zGMtRnv1tR

— Ben Lewis (@BenLewisMPC) August 10, 2023

Nevertheless, 41st-ranked Shelton possesses the type of first-strike game that could potentially cause problems for Alcaraz in the future. Keep an eye on the rivalry.

“He’s going to be over there a long time, I’m sure,” Shelton said of his fellow 20-year-old. “We are going to play so many matches more.

“He’s really, really tough. So he’s a real aggressive one. He didn’t let me play my game that is aggressive going to the net.”