When Ben Shelton departed the United States for Australia at the end of last month, he entered new territory in his 20-year life.
Remarkably, despite being ranked inside the world’s top 100, he had never set foot outside his home country, not even for a holiday.
First trips abroad are often memorable, but this one takes some beating. Only 3½ weeks after using a passport for the first time, Shelton has powered through the Australian Open draw to become the youngest American male singles player to reach the quarter-finals of a grand-slam event since an 18-year-old Andy Roddick at the 2001 US Open. “It’s definitely a surprise,” Shelton said, still in a state of disbelief. “I got on the plane with no expectations.
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