AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2025

Ben Shelton

Press Conference

B. SHELTON/P. Carreno Busta

6-3, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Ben, congrats. Tough battle out there. How did you manage to get the win under your belt?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, it was a tough one, playing against a guy who's got a lot of experience, a lot of success in slams, someone who you know is not afraid to go the distance.

I thought I did a great job of managing myself out there. It wasn't easy. Yeah, happy to get that one done in four sets.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can I ask you to explain what you mean by 'managing' yourself?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah, when you're on a roll like that, two sets to love, pretty clinical. One break in the first, two breaks in the second. To go through a third set, not get broken, then still lose the set in a tiebreaker, is not easy.

Felt like he gained a lot of momentum. Felt like he played a pretty flawless third set, was doing a lot of things really, really well. Deep into the fourth as well.

That momentum is sometimes tough to manage, tough to deal with when a guy gets on a roll like that. You see two sets to Love, two sets to one, two sets all, you're in a dogfight in the fifth. I was glad how I executed late in the fourth to put it away.

Q. Does having so many American men playing well take a bit of pressure off you? Do you keep up with how your countrymen are performing?

BEN SHELTON: No, I wouldn't say it takes pressure off. Everyone's playing for themselves here. I think there's a healthy competition between us. I obviously love to see those guys do well.

Yeah, it's a lot of fun to be in this era of American tennis. Most likely after this tournament, we'll have at least two guys in the top 10. There's a lot more coming, so...

For me, I don't really watch anyone else closely during the tournament. I'll check the scores, watch highlights from my friends' matches every once in a while. I'm more or less just focused on myself.

Q. What did you learn today?

BEN SHELTON: That's a funny question. What did I learn today?

Learned how to serve actually.

Q. Learned how to serve?

BEN SHELTON: Yeah. From round one to two, I think I learned how to serve, yeah.

Q. Anything from playing a player like him?

BEN SHELTON: From playing a player like him? Yeah, I learned that I definitely would not have wanted to see that guy in his prime. I'm not saying he couldn't get back to that same level. He showed some stuff today that was really, really tricky to deal with.

Obviously I was a young kid watching him in the quarters and semis of slams, when I'm sitting on the couch at home. Definitely started seeing some flashbacks today, especially in that third set.

I think the way that he stays composed and can counterpunch, can play patient from the baseline, but patiently aggressive, not overhit. Makes you feel like the court is so big. You have a lot of ground to cover. I thought those were all things that he did a great job of.

Yeah, you could say I learned.

Q. How much do you care or worry about head-to-head records when you're playing someone? I think Lorenzo has won the previous two times you played. Does that bother you, affect how you prepare? Do you try to do things differently?

BEN SHELTON: Honestly, win or lose, I'm trying to learn something from the last match I played. If you won the match before, you know that the guy's going to try to do something different to flip the script. Obviously if you lost the match, you're the guy who's got to change something up.

I don't really mind either way. Obviously you want to look at things that worked when you played, look at things that didn't work that you want to change.

I think also for me, being in a Grand Slam is a different game. I can't as much compare playing guys in two-out-of-three sets than three-out-of-five. It's a different beast. It's where I play my best tennis. That's not something that I look at as much, no.

Q. Do you talk to other guys in the locker room and compare notes about things they might have done with the upcoming opponent?

BEN SHELTON: In the locker room?

Q. Yes.

BEN SHELTON: No.

Q. What advantages or disadvantages are there that you find being left-handed in this sport?

BEN SHELTON: You can't get a practice. It's impossible, except for when the draw comes out and they play Draper, Shapo, or Ugo Humbert. Then I get the look. Other than that, people don't want to practice with you as much.

For me I don't mind. I hit with a righty, lefty, tall guy, short guy, serve bot, grinder. Doesn't really matter.

Guys on tour, players or coaches, are particular about who they practice with. Big serve, lefty, that's two strikes against you. Finding hits can be difficult.

I'd say at the same time people don't want to hit with lefties so they don't see your style of game as much. I go out and play against somebody that said no to practicing with me the last four times, at least he hasn't seen my serve.

Pros and cons, for sure.