It’s getting worse and worse for Ben Shelton after another upset loss this season despite being the No. 1 seed. The American tennis star, who is known for his fiery serve, suffered a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 defeat at the hands of World No. 83 Thiago Agustín Tirante at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.
The first set was tight, going to the tie break, where Shelton won. However, from that point on, Tirante didn’t lose on his serve in the remainder of the match. This was one of the biggest wins of Tirante’s career and only his second victory over a Top-10 player. On the other hand, Shelton hasn’t gone past the Round of 16 since February.
Houston ATP250 QF: T. A. Tirante def. [1] B. Shelton 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4
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After the latest defeat, Shelton was mocked by fans for his recent shortcomings, especially on the clay courts.
“Time for Shelton to retire from Tennis. Maybe Picklball is his game instead,” one fan wrote.
“It’s official, America player suck on clay,” one fan added.
“Since Dallas, Shelton had that illness and dealt with a minor injury to his shoulder in this match. His return game has looked worse than it’s ever been. Not sure what to make of him these days. He’ll probably hit a hot streak again, but unfortunately, he’s made no improvements in his return game. Can’t improve that, then he’s hit his ceiling,” another remarked.
“Just watched a little bit of this but totally agree. He looked like a top 10 player in his service games (not just his serve but also in rallies — or maybe top 20). Then in return games it’s like outside the top 1000,” one fan added.
“It’s time for him to grow up and have a coach who isn’t his father. Not sure if he’s ready for that emotionally. It’s not healthy at his age to be spending so much time attached to his family, nor is it healthy to have your father also be your business partner,” one fan commented.
“Shelton’s return seems even worse than usual,” another wrote.
“Top ranked Americans when they face a random Argentine on Clay,” another added.
Thiago Tirante Reacts After Upsetting Ben Shelton For SFs
Thiago Tirante was aggressive with his play against Ben Shelton. His forehand played a big hand in the Argentine winning 88 per cent of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
After the game, Tirante shared what was needed to take down an opponent like Shelton.
“Very happy with this win, my second Top-10 win, so I am very happy with the work that we are doing with my team,” Tirante said. “I knew that Ben was a very difficult player, a great player, so I had to take more risk at some times of the match.
“I did. I did sometimes good, I did sometimes bad, but that was the key. [I had to be] mentally strong all the time and try to break the serve. He serves amazing. I did the best possible [job].”
Shelton needs to improve, or he is in line for another bad clay season.
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