US Open Final Preview: Ben Shelton Faces Alexander Zverev for New York Glory

And then there were two, as after almost a fortnight of high-octane tennis at the US Open , we have a final set, as the No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev is set to face off against the No. 1 American men's player, Ben Shelton.

The two players have separated themselves from the others over the course of the tournament, and now they eye one of the biggest prizes in tennis. Zverev is looking to add another Slam to his resume quickly after winning his first , while Shelton is trying to become the first American men's player since Andy Roddick over two decades ago to win a Major title.

And we here at LWOT will be bringing you an in-depth preview of what to expect in one of the biggest matches of the year.

While both players have had to work hard to make the final, their paths to it have been as different as possible. Handed a brutal draw that saw him face three former top-10 players in his first four matches, Shelton did brilliantly to manage the initial tough tests. He then had the win of his life in the quarterfinals, when he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set epic to make the semifinals, where he took out fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe in a much more comfortable match than many had expected.

His opponent in the final, Zverev, has had one of the historically softer draws leading up to a Slam final ever, as he is yet to play anyone ranked inside the top-20 in the world. The German did make his life tougher in the early matches, playing back-to-back five-setters to start the tournament, but since then he has been spotless, winning all of his matches in straight sets to make the final, where he will get a matchup that he has historically dominated, winning all five of his matches played against Shelton so far .

Why Zverev Has Historically Dominated This Matchup

The main reason this matchup is one-sided is that Zverev has the perfect game to expose Shelton's weaknesses: his big serve often causes problems for Shelton, a below-average returner, while Zverev's elite backhand can make Shelton's baseline inconsistencies show up. Zverev has historically had great success against left-handed players because he is one of the few players who feels more confident off his backhand side than his forehand.

This means that in the traditional cross-court exchange, the lefty player's forehand ends up being in a battle with Zverev's backhand, with the German more often than not being not only more consistent in that pattern, but also more penetrating, as his backhand eventually takes its toll on the opponent during rallies. This results in either the lefty player making unforced errors or dropping a ball short that Zverev can easily put away, and this has been quite prevalent during the German's matches against Shelton.

However, this tournament so far, Shelton has shown great progress in both of these areas. The American is not only winning more of the break points he has generated this tournament compared to his past 52-week averages, but he is also winning more points on return, showing growth in an area that was needed for the American to truly take a step forward in his game.

Can Shelton's Improvements Change the Pattern?

Along with that, Shelton has been both mentally and physically outstanding this tournament so far, showing maturity in longer rallies that wasn't seen consistently before this tournament. The American has taken a more percentage-based approach, as instead of looking for the winners, he has been content with keeping the ball in when needed and going for the point-winning shot at the right time. This saw him win a higher volume of longer rallies against Alcaraz and Tiafoe than what was expected.

This does not mean the American is now pushing the ball in, but more that he is trusting his defensive skills and using his aggression in a more focused manner, either up at the net or when there is a clear opening from the back of the court.

Both of these adjustments should help him against Zverev, especially when you add in the factor that the bigger the match, the more tense the German is. Despite this being Zverev's sixth Slam final, it is still expected that he will be quite nervous not only to begin the match but also in the pressure moments. If that is the case, and Shelton can manage his own nerves while playing the biggest match of his career in front of a packed home crowd, things can definitely get more interesting than what the one-sided head-to-head might suggest.

History will be on the line for either player on Sunday, in what is definitely a final that many people had not expected to get going into the tournament. For Zverev, a win would mean all the ghosts of past heartbreaking defeats at the biggest stages are now firmly gone, as he not only gets his second Major title but can make a real push for the No. 1 ranking.

For Shelton, a win would welcome him into the tennis elite. Although he will not quite be at a stage where you could add him as the third one along with Alcaraz and Sinner, it would separate him from the rest of the players in his age group, giving him pole position to eventually be the consensus third-best player of the post-2000-born players era so far. It would also be the first-ever Major title won by an American men's player in more than two decades, as one of the longest waits for American tennis comes to an end, by a player who, despite his inconsistencies at times, has shown that he has the higher floor with his explosive game.

In the final Slam match of the year, all eyes will be on whether Shelton can rise to the occasion, or if the more experienced player comes out on top. Who do you think will prevail in New York on Sunday?

Main Image Credit: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz