Shelton emerges victorious at the Canadian Open tournament
In a thrilling three-set battle, Ben Shelton claimed his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Toronto, defeating Karen Khachanov with a scoreline of 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-6(3). The match lasted an intense two hours and forty-five minutes.
Shelton, the fourth seed from the US, displayed resilience throughout the match, serving 16 aces and winning multiple tight tie-breaks. He overcame a set down and saved break points to prevail in key moments, notably dominating the final set tie-break with leads of 3-0 and 5-2, sealing his victory on his second match point.
Khachanov, who was chasing a second Masters 1000 title, having won the 2018 Paris Masters, started strongly, taking a 5-3 lead in the opening set. However, Shelton fought back to break serve and take a 6-5 lead before ultimately losing the set in a tie-break.
In the second set, technical issues halted play at 2-2, with players unable to hear audio calls from the electronic line-calling system. After play resumed, Khachanov surged to a 4-3 lead, but Shelton broke again to edge ahead 5-4 and saved four break points to clinch the set in a tie-break.
The final set was another closely contested affair, with both players showing great tenacity. Shelton, however, managed to edge ahead in the third-set tie-break, leading 3-0 and 5-2 before sealing the victory on his second match point.
Khachanov thanked his team for a great result at the tournament, while Shelton described his feelings as "surreal" and praised his resilience and perseverance during the match. With this victory, Shelton is expected to rise to a career-high ranking of world No. 6.
Interestingly, Shelton is the youngest American to win an ATP Masters 1000 since Andy Roddick in 2004. His other two titles were won in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston, Texas, last year.
[Image: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images]
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[1] Khachanov took a 5-3 lead in the opening set, but Shelton fought back to break serve and take a 6-5 lead. [2] Shelton defeated 11th seed Karen Khachanov in a final that lasted 2 hours and 47 minutes. [3] Shelton's victory came after a week where he beat Flavio Cobolli, Alex de Minaur, and Taylor Fritz. [4] Shelton's ability to rebound from adversity and maintain clutch composure was crucial in his win. [5] Khachanov's team is large, with many members watching his matches from home. [6] The score of the match was 6-7 (5/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) in favor of Shelton. [7] Shelton is an Australian Open semi-finalist.
- Shelton's win against Khachanov in the Canadian Open was a triumph in tennis, with the decisive set being a tight tennis battle.
- Demonstrating resilience and clutch composure, Shelton secured his victory over Khachanov in a three-set contest in the sport of tennis.
