Connors on Shelton: "He shouldn't be content to have up-and-down performances"

Ben Shelton has reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open.

The American has reached the last four of a Grand Slam for the second time in his career after the 2023 US Open, but was once again taken out by the eventual winner.

After Djokovic in New York, it was Jannik Sinner who ended his run in three sets. Shelton had the opportunity to win the first set with two set points.

Nonetheless, the 22-year-old's good showing enabled him to return to the top 20 and climb back up to 14th position.

A tennis legend, Jimmy Connors is nevertheless keen to see his young compatriot become more consistent over the coming months.

"He should have even more confidence in himself, and not be content with a rollercoaster of performances, with moments of lightning and big gaps in his matches.

He'll have to find the perfect balance in his game, understand what it feels like to win consistently, and avoid defeats against players ranked lower than him.

We know he can play very well against the higher-ranked players. He gets up and prepares for these kinds of matches.

But at the end of the day, no matter who he's playing against, he has to reach the same level every time.

If he can do that consistently, with the game he's got, he should come away with a win most of the time," Connors told Tennis Up To Date.