Alright, let’s talk about how I went about figuring out this Thiem vs Shelton thing. It wasn’t anything super scientific, more like my usual routine when I get curious about a match.
First thing, I saw the matchup listed. Thiem and Shelton. Two interesting names. My brain immediately went to Thiem – the guy’s a US Open champ, incredible backhand, grinder. But then, the next thought was about his injuries. He’s been on the comeback trail for a while, right? So, past glory doesn’t always mean present form.
So, I popped open my usual sports scores app. Didn’t dig deep, just wanted a quick look. How has Thiem been doing the last few weeks? I scrolled through his recent matches. Looked like a mix, some wins, some losses. Didn’t seem like he was consistently beating top guys again, but definitely competing.
Then, Shelton. Young American guy. Leftie. Big, big serve and explosive power. That’s the image I had. He had that great run at the Australian Open earlier, right? Or was it the US Open last year? Anyway, lots of buzz around him. So I did the same thing, checked his recent results. Seemed like he was playing quite a bit, getting matches under his belt. Maybe a bit more momentum?
Next step, I thought about their styles clashing. Thiem likes rhythm, building points from the baseline. Shelton seems more about ending points quickly with that serve and forehand. Direct contrast. On a faster court, you’d think that might favour Shelton’s power.
I briefly wondered if they’d played before. Couldn’t recall off the top of my head. Did a quick search in my head, then checked a stats site – carefully, no deep dives, just head-to-head. Looked like maybe they hadn’t played much, if at all. So, no history to really lean on there. That always makes predicting a bit more of a guess.
Then I just sort of mulled it over. Weighed Thiem’s experience and potential ceiling against Shelton’s current form, youth, and power. Considered the likely court speed – usually medium-fast to fast where these guys play.
In the end, I leaned towards Shelton. It felt like his upward trajectory and power game might just edge out Thiem, who’s still working his way back. It wasn’t a strong conviction, more of a gut feeling based on putting those pieces together. I mentally noted down ‘Shelton’. That was pretty much my process. Just connecting some dots based on recent memory and a quick look at form.
