By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 21, 2023
Call them the bizarre suspects. The American males have positioned 4 gamers within the spherical of 16 on the 2023 Australian Open, they usually aren’t the names you’d sometimes count on. Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, John Isner – they’re all out.
This time the highlight is shared by a bunch of younger and shortly rising gamers which were below the radar at occasions = Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, JJ Wolf and Sebastian Korda.
Under the radar, maybe, however they’ll go down as the primary American quartet to succeed in the spherical of 16 on the Same Australian Open since 2007, when James Blake, Roddick, Andre Agassi and Robby Ginepri all reached the final 16 in Melbourne.
Of the 4, 22-year-old Korda has garnered essentially the most consideration, his extremely easy baseline recreation, and immense energy has drawn rave critiques since he hit the tour, and so has his pedigree. The brother of two skilled golfers, sisters Jessica and Nelly, and the son of two tennis execs, father Petr, a former Australian Open champion and mom Regina, a former World 26.
Oh, and there’s that pretty well-documented relationship with Andre Agassi…
“I’m definitely the worst athlete in the family so far.” ????
The Korda household are fairly unbelievable!#AusOpen • #AO2023 pic.twitter.com/fAwqWJuBb6
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 20, 2023
But Korda wasn’t anticipated to be within the second week by many, particularly when he drew a third-round encounter with 2022 runner-up Daniil Medvedev.
The different three are even much less heralded. There is Shelton the 20-year-old southpaw who had by no means performed a match outdoors of the United States till making the trek to Australia this month. Here he’s, sitting fairly within the spherical of 16 after knocking off Alexei Popyrin on Day 6.
Shelton, the son of former ATP professional Bryan, is enjoying in his second main.
Ben Shelton. Wow!
First Oz Open. First journey outdoors the USA. Second main.
Into the fourth spherical with a poised 6-3, 7-6 (4) 6-4 victory over Aussie Alexei Popyrin
14 aces, one double, a number of expertise#getty pic.twitter.com/gVUkD0OfGu
— Christopher Clarey ???????? ???????? ???????? (@christophclarey) January 21, 2023
Then there may be Wolf, a hard-hitting expertise that has been on the scene for some time, however is barely enjoying in his third Grand Slam important draw. Wolf blasted previous compatriot Jenson Brooksby on Day 6, and can face Shelton for a spot within the quarterfinals.
Last however not least there may be Paul. The athletically gifted 25-year-old has steadily been transferring up the ranks lately, and reached the spherical of 16 at Wimbledon final yr, his greatest efficiency at a serious thus far. He’ll face both Andy Murray or Roberto Bautista Agut within the spherical of 16.
The efficiency of this unlikely quartet is a testomony to the depth of expertise on the lads’s facet in America in the intervening time. The rising tide is lifting all boats, and we must always count on, when Fritz and Tiafoe rejoin the motion on the yr’s last three Slams, that extra good issues occur.