Ben Shelton Full of Delight After Earning His ATP Finals Qualification at the Paris Masters
Ben Shelton will face Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters.
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Ben Shelton (image via National Bank Open)
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Ben Shelton was left overjoyed after securing his place in the ATP Finals at the Rolex Paris Masters on Thursday (October 30). The American confirmed his spot at the tournament after beating former top 10 star Andrey Rublev in the round of 16 of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Paris.
Shelton has been one of the best players flying under the radar this season. He began his sublime form at the Australian Open, where he reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner. His second-best run came at the Munich Open, where he finished as a runner-up after losing to Alexander Zverev.
He then earned his best run at the Wimbledon Championships, reaching the quarter-finals before Sinner defeated him. That run in the grass-court Grand Slam made him break into the top 10 of the ATP. A few weeks later, he solidified his place in the top 10 after beating Karen Khachanov in the final of the Canadian Open.
Despite sustaining an injury at the US Open, his points were enough to see him gain a place in the ATP Finals, but he needed some wins to confirm his spot. He did that at the Paris Masters, beating Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the tournament, thereby booking his ticket to Turin.
This will be the first time Shelton will be playing at the ATP Finals in his career. During an interview with Tennis Channel after beating Rublev, Shelton revealed that he knew he just had to win to secure his place in the top eight. The 23-year-old admitted that he’s proud to have found his form after the injury he sustained at the US Open:
I kind of knew after last night that going into today, I could lock up my spot. I knew that’s what I was playing for today, and I just told my dad before I went on court, I said, ‘I’ve got the chance to control my own destiny, and there’s no way I’m going down today.’ So yeah, I played one of my best matches of the year — which was crazy, because I haven’t been in the best form. I’ve been trying to find it again post–US Open, and to find the level that I found today was a pretty cool feeling.
Shelton’s form, particularly in Grand Slam tournaments, has been incredible this season. He reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships this year, which gave him a lot of points. Also, winning the Canadian Open title proved crucial as that solidified his place in the top 10.
Ben Shelton reveals how his footwork on the court helps his game
Ben Shelton only had to work hard in the first set against Andrey Rublev at the Paris Masters. The Russian star was the architect of his undoing as he failed to compose himself amidst his errors. Shelton was not at his best, but in the second set, Rublev played worse, leaving the American star to break him twice.
Shelton now leads Rublev 2-0 in their head-to-head record on tour. During the aforementioned interview, the 23-year-old revealed how his footwork aids his defensive game on the court, while also adding how physical a player he has been in recent weeks:
Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with how you work on it — and it’s been a point of emphasis for me. But there’s no substitute for match play. I think the way I’ve been competing — getting a bit more gritty, trying to win the longer rallies, and turning that into a strength rather than a weakness — that’s helped my footwork and fitness automatically.
Shelton will face Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters. The American star has beaten the Italian just once on tour, and that came in 2023. Since then, Sinner has beaten Shelton in six consecutive meetings. Their last meeting came at Wimbledon, where Sinner won in straight sets.
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