Tag: Ben Shelton

Ben Shelton eyes big week in Paris following Sinner withdrawal, advances to second round

Former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton is looking to make a deep run at the Paris Masters this week, following World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal.

Former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] was already eyeing a big week in Paris at the final 1,000-point Masters of the season, but his path to a deep run just got a bit easier following World No. 1 Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal from the event.

Shelton cleared the first hurdle Tuesday afternoon with a 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-3 victory over French qualifier Corentin Moutet less than 48 hours after coming up short in the finals of the Swiss Indoors.

Defeating Moutet in front of his home crowd was no easy task, especially after dropping a second-set tiebreak. In typical Shelton fashion, he leaned on his big serve and youthful endurance to take the Round of 64 match. Shelton won 78 percent of his first serves (56 of 72) and saved both break points he faced. He sent 36 winners across the net, including two aces.

Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal clears path

Shelton entered the tournament expecting to face Sinner in the Round of 32, but the World No. 1 withdrew from the Paris Masters earlier this morning, clearing the way for the former Gator.

Instead of facing the best tennis player in the world, Shelton will face lucky loser and World No. 85 Arthur Cazaux on Wednesday. The match is scheduled on central court not before 3:30 p.m. ET, but it could end up being played much later in the day, as it is the fifth match of the day on that court.

Advancing through the Round of 32 would set up a potential match between Shelton and 13th-ranked Holger Rune, who faces No. 33 Alexander Bublik tomorrow.

Three of the four players ranked immediately ahead of Shelton — who is currently No. 19 in the world — have already lost at the Paris Masters. A run to the semifinals would likely move him to No. 16 or higher, but that requires Shelton to win at least four games on tired legs.

Stay tuned throughout the week as Gators Wire tracks Shelton’s quest to finish the 2024 calendar on a hot streak.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton’s finishes as runner-up at Swiss Indoors

Ben Shelton wanted to add another championship trophy to his mantle, but he settled for the runner-up in the Swiss Indoors final.

It’s not often that [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] comes out of a big-serve match as the loser, but 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard outdueled the former Florida tennis star on Sunday to claim the Swiss Indoors Basel championship, 6-4, 7-6(4).

“First of all, I wanna congratulate Gio on a great match today,” Shelton said after finishing as the runner-up. “So many parts of your game have improved, and you’re such a great young talent.”

Shelton joked that he nearly killed himself trying to return Mpethsi Perricard’s serve. The Frenchman averaged 140 mph on first serve and 129 mph on second serve, while Shelton averaged 120 mph on first serve. It’s rare to see Shelton out-powered, but the ATP rookie was on a mission to crack the top 35 — Mpetshi Perricard began the year outside the top 200.

Despite the loss, Shelton will move back into the top 20 thanks to the 300 points earned for making the final. He’ll move to No. 19 with a chance to improve in his final tournament of the year, the Paris Masters, a 1,000-point event.

Shelton’s draw is tough, though. He’ll face lucky loser Corentin Moutet in the Round of 64, following a withdrawal from current world No. 19 Felix Auger-Aliassime, and then a date with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner looms. Should Shelton advance to the Roud of 16, potential matchups include top-15-ranked Holger Rune and top-40-ranked Alexander Bublik.

No match time for Shelton’s Round of 64 battle has been set, but it should take place Monday evening.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton secures spot in 2024 Swiss Indoors finals

Ben Shelton has dominated all week at the Swiss Indoors Basel with his powerful, lefty serve, and he’ll play for a championship on Sunday.

Ben Shelton will only spend a week outside the ATP Top 20 this year after securing a spot at the Swiss Indoors Basel with a straight-set victory over World No. 20 Arthur Fils, 6-3, 7-6(9).

Shelton didn’t face a break point in the 78-minute semi-final and won 88% (45/51) of his first serves against Fils. Still, the match looked destined for a third set when Fils went up 5-1 in the second-set tiebreak. Shelton rallied to secure his spot in the finals.

“I served really well today, and I had to because I know what Arthur is capable of when he touches the ball,” said Shelton after the match. “The goal was to let him know I got clean hits on the ball as much as possible, and I executed really well. He served well, so there weren’t that many long points. A really high-level match and I’m not sure how I pulled that tie-break out in the second set.”

Shelton faces 21-year-old Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who upset fourth-seeded Holger Rune in the other semi-final match. Rune is also 21, and Fils is 20. At just 22, Shelton is the veteran of the four semi-finalists.

“I think that shows how strong our next-gen is,” he said. “I’m the oldest of the four, so that’s kind of crazy to think about. Probably the first time that’s happened to me in the semi-finals.”

Mpetshi Perricard holds the head-to-head advantage over Shelton, beating him in the Round of 32 at the Cinch Championships in London this June. The championship match will begin not before 9:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, following the doubles final.

Shelton is guaranteed to move up to at least No. 19 in the world with a chance to move to No. 18 with a tournament victory.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton upsets top seed at Swiss Indoors, advances to semifinal

Ben Shelton has struggled in quarterfinals throughout the season, but he pulled off a big upset over World No. 7 Andrey Rublev to advance to the semifinals at the Swiss Indoors on Friday.

Ben Shelton desperately needed a strong performance at the Swiss Indoors Basel after dropping 490 points and six places in the latest ATP rankings update, and the former Florida tennis star clinched at least 180 points with a quarterfinal win over top-seeded and World No. 7 Andrey Rublev — 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4 — on Friday morning.

Known for his left-handed power serve, Shelton has dominated while starting off the rally at the Swiss Indoors. He’s yet to drop a serve in three wins, denying all 12 break points throughout the tournament — six of which came against Rublev.

The match wasn’t without drama, though. Lingering smoke from the player introductions delayed the first set, and Rublev began to take control after forcing a tiebreak in the second. Shelton’s game is built around that devastating serve, and longer rallies tend to work against him. But Shelton stuck to his game and overpowered Rublev in the end.

It’s Shelton’s second top-10 win of the season and puts him just two more wins away from claiming the ATP 500 event. Shelton hasn’t performed great in quarterfinals this year, advancing five times in nine tries.

“I struggled a lot this year in quarterfinals and I’ve lost a lot of them against top 10 players,” Shelton said. “It’s been a tough hump to overcome. To get to the second-to-last week of the year and finally do it is huge for me. Especially with the way I was able to overcome everything Rublev threw at me.”

It won’t be easy reaching the final, though. Shelton faces “one of his best friends on the tour,” 20-year-old Frenchman Athurt Fils, who is coming off an upset of his own.

Fils beat the No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets to secure his place in the final. He’s ranked No. 20 in the world — three spots higher than Shelton. Shelton won his first head-to-head with Fils at the 2023 Laver Cup, but the Frenchman won in a third-set tiebreak during the quarterfinals of the Kinoshita Group Japan Open in late September — a tournament Fils went on to win outright.

Both men are likely to be ranked inside the top 20 once the Swiss Indoors concludes, but the winner of the semifinal match will take a much bigger jump up the rankings. Making the finals guarantees at least 300 points. Winning the tournament would add another 200 points to the tally.

The semifinal matchup is set to begin not before 9 a.m. ET and can be watched on the Tennis Channel.

Read more: Ben Shelton secures spot in 2024 Swiss Indoors finals

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton’s repeat bid ends in Tokyo quarter-final

After finishing on top in Tokyo a year ago, Ben Shelton came up short in the quarter-final of the 2024 Kinoshita Group Japan Open.

After winning the whole thing a year ago, former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] ended his run at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo with a quarter-final loss to Frenchman Arthur Fils, 7-5, 6-7, 7-6.

Both Fils and Shelton dealt with cramping during the match. Shelton reached for his right hamstring several times. Fils broke Shelton in the third set, but the young American returned the favor in the next game. Knotted at four games a piece in the final set, it became a race to a deciding tiebreak.

Fils upset the reigning tournament champion with a comfortable 7-2 tiebreak finish. He handled Shelton’s powerful, left-handed serve for most of the match. Still, Shelton aced eight times in the third set to force the tiebreak.

In the first round, Shelton beat fellow American Reilly Opelka in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, and he took down Argentinian Mariano Navone in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, in the second round.

Ben Shelton moves up ATP Rankings

When the rankings are updated on Monday, Shelton will add 90 points to his total. He will move into the No. 15 spot, passing fellow Americans Frances Tiafoe and Sebastian Korda. Tiafoe was eliminated in the first round.

However, because the Japanese tournament was played at the end of September rather than last year’s mid-October scheduling, Shelton will eventually lose the 500 points he earned for winning it all in 2023.

Shelton could participate in one of seven ATP events in October to avoid dropping significantly. It’s unlikely he participates in an ATP 250 event, which leaves two 1,000s and two 500s to pick from.

The Rolex Shanghai Masters (1,000) is just five days away and a three-hour flight from Tokyo. The Erste Bank Open in Vienna, Austria, and the Swiss Indoors Basel are both 500-level events scheduled around the same time as Shelton is set to drop those 500 points.

Finally, the Rolex Paris Masters (1,000) is at the end of the month and carries on into November. Shelton played in Vienna and Paris last year.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton comes up short in epic duel vs Frances Tiafoe at US Open

It’s an earlier exit from the US Open than Ben Shelton wanted, but the former Gator delivered an epic battle against fellow American Frances Tiafoe on Friday.

The latest chapter in a budding rivalry between two rising American stars in tennis was written on Friday when Frances Tiafoe upset [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] in the third round of the US Open.

Tiafoe exacted his revenge in five sets, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3. A year ago, it was Shelton who came out on top in the US Open quarterfinals. A newcomer to the pro scene at that time, the former Florida Gator has since emerged as one of the game’s youngest stars. He’s climbed to No. 13 in the world, passing Tiafoe, but that could all change after this latest result.

Shelton is dropping 720 points on Monday in the ATP rankings, and being knocked out in the third round means he’ll add just 90 back. Meanwhile, Tiafoe is just one more win away from replacing all 360 points he earned a year ago, but Shelton is hoping to see him go further than that, or so a lingering midcourt meeting after the game would suggest.

The two know each other well and they are considered the United States’ best options to come out on top of a Grand Slam. Tiafoe granted Shelton a ton or respect in his post-game interview.

“I’ve got to say, Ben’s an incredible player, man. He’s an incredible player. He really is. He goes for all kind of shots. He’s got no care in the world. It’s really annoying. … He’s really talented. He can come up with great shots. So can I,” Tiafoe said. “It’s highlight after highlight. I hope you guys enjoyed the show.”

It would be hard not to enjoy the show, one that seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe suggested should have come at night. The crowds were packed and dueling chants in support of both players rang throughout the match.

Shelton was at his best in the first set, winning 6-4. He delivered some incredible moments and seemingly backed Tiafoe into a corner. Tiafoe never wavered, though. He brought Shelton to 21 break points and converted five in crucial moments. The most important one came to put him 3-1 in the fifth set, and fatigue set in for Shelton.

https://twitter.com/TennisTV/status/1829599597590982903

What’s next for Ben Shelton?

Shelton’s next appearance should come a the Laver Cup in Germany as part of Team World, captained by McEnroe. The Laver Cup puts six Europeans against six players from elsewhere in the world. Twelve matches are played over three days (nine singles and three doubles), with the third set being a 10-point match tiebreak.

Unfortunately, winning the Laver Cup does not award any points in the ATP rankings, so Shelton could opt to play one of the Asian tournaments in September to climb back up a few spots. A pair of 250-point Opens feels beneath him at this point in his career, but he could show up at one of the ATP 500 events at the end of the month.

The next 1000-point event is the Rolex Shanghai Masters. He made it to the quarterfinals of that event last year.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton advances to Round 3 of US Open, sets up QF rematch vs. Tiafoe

Ben Shelton loves playing in New York, but he’ll have to take down another American to continue his run at the 2024 US Open.

So far, so good for [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] at the 2024 US Open.

The 22-year-old American defeated 36-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, without dropping a break in the second round on Wednesday.

The former Florida Gator leaned on his left-handed power serve, as usual, but he also moved around the court freely on a day when temperatures exceeded 90 degrees and 50 percent humidity in New York City.

Shelton now turns his attention to fellow American Francis Tiafoe in a high-profile, third-round matchup. The two clashed in the quarterfinals of last year’s event with Shelton coming out on top in four sets.

More recently, Shelton defeated Tiafoe in the finals of the 2024 U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3.

Now ranked 13th overall in the world, and higher than Tiafoe, it’s Shelton’s game to lose.

Still, Shelton expects a strong level of competition from Tiafoe, calling the matchup a “popcorn match,” as in “Go get your popcorn, Shelton and Tiafoe are playing.”

It will be interesting to see how the crowd is split in this one. Both players thrive off the energy from the audience, but Tiafoe is a lovable underdog here.

Barring weather delays, Shelton and Tiafoe should meet on Friday. However, tournament organizers have not announced the match time or court designation yet.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Ben Shelton kicks off 2024 US Open with win in straight sets

A year ago, Ben Shelton announced himself to the tennis world with a run to the semifinals of the US Open in New York. Can he do it again?

Former Florida tennis star [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] announced himself as the next great American in tennis this time last year with a surprise run to the semifinals of one of the US Open — one of the sport’s four majors.

It vaulted him up the ATP men’s rankings and earned him an endorsement from tennis legend Roger Federer. But that was last year.

Shelton is back in New York this week to try and repeat his semifinal run. Winning the whole thing is, of course, the goal, but Grand Slam events feature the very best of the best. Unlike ATP 1000 events — the next largest tournaments in professional tennis — majors require three-set wins to claim a match.

Winning seven straight to emerge on top of a field of 128 is already hard enough. Adding in an extra set or two each match means fatigue is an even bigger part of the game than usual.

It’s a good thing that Shelton made quick work of his first-round opponent, then. Shelton won in straight sets — 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 — against Austrian Dominic Thiem, who won the event back in 2020.

Thiem is actually the better story here, but we only care about Gators on this site. He finally got his roses in front of a full crowd, and it marks the end of Thiem’s grand slam career. Injuries have hampered him over the past few years, and he’s made it known he plans to call it quits at the end of the season.

Now back to Shelton.

The young lefty leaned on his power serve all afternoon. He beat Thiem in the second round last year en route to the semis, so this was a case of if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The former Gators was humble in victory and praised Thiem’s resilience after the match.

“Obviously, I have been out here a couple years now, and he’s kind of been in and out playing tournaments and not playing tournaments,” Shelton said. “So you hate to see a guy like that, such a nice guy, great player, go through the injuries and deal with all that he’s dealt with.”

Shelton’s in the middle of his prime, but it has to be a stark reminder that nothing can be taken for granted in the world of professional sports.

“I think if I learn anything from him, it’s that this is a game that is unforgiving,” he said. “Things can change quick. You can be at the top of the game, and your body doesn’t hold up or some freak accident happens. Injuries happen all the time. So tennis isn’t forever. I think that’s one thing to learn and take away. Obviously still had a career that a lot of people dream about.”

Ben Shelton’s Round 2 Matchup at US Open

Next up for Shelton is 36-year-old Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut. Shelton leads the head-to-head series, two to one, and is the better player on hard court. He’s also spent less time on the court this week — Bautista needed 3 hours and 16 minutes of play to advance to the second round.

Fans can find full coverage of the US Open on ESPN+ with a subscription. Select matches are aired on ESPN’s main cable channel.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Tennis star Ben Shelton had a silly excuse to dislike the Challengers movie but liked its popularity

The young tennis star didn’t understand the plot of the Zendaya tennis movie.

As one of the top young American tennis players in the world, it was fascinating to hear what Ben Shelton thought of Challengers (2024).

The 21-year-old tennis star, who currently holds the No. 13 men’s singles ranking, was asked to share his opinion on the popular sports film starring Zendaya that was released earlier this year.

Shelton told Interview Magazine that although he had seen the movie, he “wasn’t the biggest fan” of it. He admitted that while they did a “great job” with the tennis sequences, the plot didn’t really work for him.

Warning: Some potential spoilers for this movie are mentioned.

According to Shelton, it looked realistic when the ball was moving.

But he said that he struggled to “understand” the plot of the film. For example, was Zendaya’s character actually in a love triangle with the two guys?

Meanwhile, he also had some trouble with the ending. Without giving away too many spoilers, Shelton struggled with who won the final match between the two male leads. He wondered why they embraced instead of depicting an actual winner.

Despite these complaints, though, he was still happy that “a lot of people liked it” likely because it gave increased attention to his sport.

Shelton is currently competing in the US Open in New York City.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1999]

Ben Shelton knocked out of ATP Atlanta as No. 1 seed

Despite coming into the ATP Atlanta tournament as the No. 1 seed, former Florida tennis star Ben Shelton lost his first match.

After a brilliant run to the Fourth Round at Wimbledon, Florida tennis alum [autotag]Ben Shelton[/autotag] came up short in his first match at the ATP Tour event in Atlanta, Georgia.

Shelton fell to Chinese 19-year-old Juncheng Shang for the second straight year at his hometown event event. Last year’s matchup came in the Round of 32, but Shelton earned a bye to the Round of 16 as the No. 1 seed.

The extra rest didn’t do Shelton much good. He lost in straight sets, 7-6(6), 6-4. Shang was gracious in victory and spoke highly of Shelton, who he is now 3-0 against.

“It was a really tough match,” Shang said. “The conditions are completely different from last year. The courts are much slower. But with this crowd, I really enjoy playing here. I don’t know what I did to play so well against Ben but he’s such an amazing guy, a lot of respect to him.”

Shang’s success against Shelton might be because both are lefties. He told Rough Draft Atlanta that he’s able to return lefties a lot better than righties, which is something Shelton doesn’t deal with often (or that well). It’s a hole in the young American’s game right now, but he’s always working to improve.

Up next for Shelton is the U.S. Open on Aug. 26 in New York City.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.