Follow us on Google Discover Ben Shelton booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters after defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
The American, seeded fifth in the French capital, beat Rublev 7-6, 6-3 to advance to the last eight at the final ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season.
After returning to tour-level action following Shelton’s shoulder injury, the 23-year-old struggled to pick up wins prior to his campaign in Paris.
He crashed out in the first round of the Shanghai Masters to David Goffin and picked up just one victory at the Swiss Indoors in Basel before losing to Jaume Munar.
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Now, however, Shelton has tallied consecutive wins for the first time since the US Open, knocking out both Flavio Cobolli and Rublev at the Paris Masters without dropping a set.
With his triumph over the Russian, the US star has now achieved a career milestone which he set out to clinch at the beginning of the season.
Ben Shelton qualifies for the ATP Finals after latest win in Paris
For the first time in his career, Shelton has qualified for the ATP Finals, becoming the sixth player to punch his ticket to Turin.
He follows Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz in the list of stars to secure their spot in the year-end tournament.
Reacting to the feat in his on-court interview, Shelton said: “I knew going into today that this would qualify for me.
“I was trying not to think about it. I’m trying to keep my mind here in Paris this week. That’s what’s most important, what’s right in front of me.
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“But I knew at the end of the day that if I wanted to be in control of my own destiny, I had to go out and win today, and I knew when I stepped on the court that I was going to have to die on this court before I went down.
“So I’m happy with the performance. I thought I brought out my best tennis that I’ve played in months, and I’m just really excited to be in the quarterfinals here.”
With Fritz collecting enough points for the ATP Finals the day before him, Shelton’s win marks the first time two Americans have qualified for the tournament since Andy Roddick and James Blake in 2006.
“It’s huge for me,” said Shelton. “It was always a huge goal, but most importantly, to get back to this level that I played today, that’s where I wanted to be. This is where I was at in the summer around the US Open, and to feel what I felt on the court today is what I’m most proud about.”
Photo by Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images/DeFodi via Getty ImagesBen Shelton gives credit to Andrey Rublev after their match in Paris
Rublev tested Shelton in their match at the Paris Masters, forcing him to a tiebreak in the first set, but ultimately the 12th seed could not find an answer for his opponent.
His conqueror said of the match: “This is the best tennis I’ve played since my injury. I wouldn’t say it was flawless, but with everything that he threw at me today and how well I thought he played, I have got to give him a lot of credit.
“I played one of my best matches of the year, and it was two tight sets that could have gone either way. I think that we brought out a better and better level out of each other.
“With me having three set points, him saving all of them, playing attacking tennis and me having to come up with the goods to win the set is what makes for a great and exciting match for the fans.”
Shelton has reached the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000 event for the fourth time this season, following last-eight finishes in Indian Wells, Toronto, and Cincinnati.