By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Monday, August 26, 2024Photo credit score: Mubadala Citi DC Open
NEW YORK—Rush hour involves court docket when Ben Shelton serves.
Final yr, Shelton rocketed document service blasts of 149 miles an hour on the US Open.
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At this time, Shelton slammed eight aces and solely confronted one break level in a 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 sweep of 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem to succeed in the US Open second spherical within the Austrian’s last main match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
That is the primary yr the US Open is allowing fan motion all through its stadiums, enabling followers to enter the stadiums on the finish of video games quite than throughout changeovers as was the earlier rule.
Fan motion prompted Zheng Qinwen and Amanda Anisimova to pause a few instances for followers to settle throughout their match on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Shelton, who performed school tennis at Florida, stated he is accustomed to the movement and isn’t bothered by fan motion.
“I seen it, however as soon as the purpose begins, I do not discover it,” Shelton advised the media. “I suppose with school tennis I’ve performed, you realize, this UTS Tour, as effectively, there’s plenty of conditions the place I have been in that is quite a bit crazier than a few individuals strolling with drinks again to their seat, Honey Deuces.”
The 2023 US Open semifinalist predicts some gamers can be bothered by fan motion this week, however says he is not fazed by followers coming and going.
“I do not actually thoughts it,” Shelton stated. “I am certain some gamers can be aggravated with it this week and possibly cease taking part in or maintain up so long as they will.
“Yeah, I do not actually care.”
US Open Event Director Stacey Allaster calls the change “an necessary addition to the fan expertise.”
“We have at all times had free motion within the higher stands of Arthur Ashe, our stadiums, within the outer courts,” Allaster stated. “2024 we are going to introduce managed motion in all of our stadiums. Every stadium is completely different. What we are going to implement is that followers can be allowed to maneuver in between video games versus previously in between changeovers.
“That can be new. Will probably be new for everybody. We’ll discover our manner via it. However we expect this is a crucial addition to the fan expertise on the US Open.”
