Ben Shelton hadn’t celebrated his first birthday when Andy Roddick won the US Open men’s singles title on 2003. Later tonight, Shelton will aim to become the first American male player since Roddick to win a major title. The burden to lift more than two decades of despair rests on his young shoulders. And on the evidence of the six matches the 23-year-old has played over the fortnight in New York, he seems ready.
Shelton is a rumbustious, giant man, earmarked for glory from the moment he arrived on the circuit. Coached by his father, he’s reached quarterfinals and semifinals at majors earlier and earned a top-10 spot in the rankings.
