Ben Shelton played one of his career’s best matches in the Dallas Open final, defeating his compatriot Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. The second seed remained calm and saved three match points in the 10th game of the deciding set to earn his fourth tour title on Sunday, February 15.
Next, Shelton will be in action at the ATP 500 Acapulco Open in Mexico, beginning February 23. The American will then participate in the first Masters 1000 tournament of the year, the Indian Wells Open, beginning March 4.
Meanwhile, the ATP 500 Dallas Open was Shelton’s third tournament this season. He suffered quarterfinal exits at the ASB Classic and the Australian Open, losing to Sebastian Baez and Jannik Sinner, respectively.
During the trophy ceremony on Sunday, Ben Shelton lauded No. 1 seed Taylor Fritz, saying (via Sportstar):
“I want to congratulate Taylor, crazy match to be a part of. It’s amazing what you’ve been doing this year, dealing with adversity, fighting through injury. You are an inspiration.”
“Needed Something Supernatural” – Ben Shelton Upon Winning Dallas Open
Ben Shelton now leads the head-to-head against Taylor Fritz 2-1. The title clash that lasted an hour and 51 minutes saw Shelton hit 16 aces, 31 winners, and 22 unforced errors. On the other hand, Fritz, who won four more points than his opponent, finished with 14 aces, 35 winners, and 20 unforced errors.
World No. 9 Shelton thanked God after collecting his Dallas Open trophy and said (via ATP Tour):
“It feels amazing. I thank God, because I needed something supernatural to end up winning this tournament with all the holes that I was in. I feel grateful to play five matches out here with these crowds. The energy was amazing.”
“I had to fight until the last minute. Fritz was playing very good tennis, and I was struggling a lot with what he was throwing at me. I tried to be a competitor through and through, and I ended up coming out on top. I think it’s a testament to the work me and my team put in.”
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