Nine years after Roger Federer introduced a unique shot tactic, Ben Shelton utilized it during his match against Michael Mmoh in Dallas. The young American displayed dominance by winning 28 consecutive points with this innovative maneuver, applying constant pressure on his opponent.
Shelton employed a strategy known as Sneak Attack By Roger (SABB), as demonstrated in the video below, effectively disrupting Mmoh’s rhythm and asserting his own powerful shots. With three breaks of serve, Ben secured a swift 6-3, 6-3 victory in just 63 minutes, propelling him into the quarter-finals. Federer initially integrated SABB into his playing style during the 2015 Cincinnati tournament, using it to gain an advantage over his opponents by aggressively attacking their serves from within the court.
By combining exceptional footwork and precise timing, Roger would position himself inside the baseline and execute sharp, forceful returns, keeping his adversaries on the defensive and dictating the tempo of the match. Shelton emulated this strategy flawlessly against Mmoh, committing only three unforced errors and converting 38% of his return points into crucial breaks of serve, which proved more than sufficient for him to secure victory. Ben showcased remarkable control over his shots, outplaying his opponent from the baseline and preventing any unnecessary mistakes.
The younger American seized the initiative by winning the first game of the match with a fortunate net cord backhand winner, immediately creating three break point opportunities in the subsequent game. Mmoh succumbed to a forehand error on the third break point, experiencing an early setback that provided a boost to Shelton. Ben confidently held his serve in the third game with a powerful delivery, replicating this feat at 3-1 to maintain his lead. Despite Michael managing to hold his serve in the sixth game with a forehand winner, reducing the deficit to just one break, Shelton swiftly regained control by executing a smash winner at 4-2, securing another comfortable hold.
Mmoh extended the contest by holding his serve at 15 in the eighth game, but Ben responded with an unreturned serve to claim the opener in 33 minutes. Both players showcased strong serving performances in the opening four games of the second set, until Mmoh encountered difficulties at 2-2. Despite the more experienced American saving a break point with a service winner, he faced a second break point following a double fault. Shelton capitalized on this opportunity, converting the break point after Mmoh committed a backhand error, further solidifying his advantage and edging closer to victory.
Maintaining his excellent serving form, Shelton comfortably held his serve at love in the sixth game, extending his streak of successful service games. Ben repeated this feat in the eighth game, winning all 28 points in his service games and establishing a 5-3 lead. In a final attempt to prolong the match, Mmoh committed a loose backhand error in the ninth game, facing three match points. Shelton sealed the deal by firing a forehand winner on the first match point, securing his place in the quarter-finals with a remarkable display of SABB.
Video Link: [ATP Tour Twitter Link]
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org