Ben Shelton defeated Denis Shapovalov on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to go to 11-0 in his opening rounds of the ATP Masters 1000s and Grand Slams this season. The 21-year-old American defeated the Canadian qualifier 6-3, 7-5, extending his perfect Lexus ATP Head2Head record to 3-0 without facing a break point.
Shelton has already advanced via retirement in a tough match in Washington and won in five sets at Wimbledon, with both of those matchups occurring this season.
In Shanghai, Shapovalov altered his strategy, but he was unable to alter the outcome. Shelton remarked, “I think some of the tendencies and things that I expected, he changed it up today,” in reference to his opponent’s baseline play and serving strategies. “I was looking for a few things and was surprised by some of the things he did on the court.”
The American was in control throughout the one-hour, 17-minute match and made it a point to stay even-keeled on the stadium court, forgoing some of the boisterous celebrations fans have grown accustomed to seeing when Shelton puts on a show.
“I’m trying to work on being a little bit more calm and focused on the court,” explained the No. 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings. “I think that it’s important for my evolution, and in the evolution of my game, that I continue to be able to focus for extended periods of time and and really lock in to play at a higher level for more than one set. I thought I did a great job of that today. I’m happy with the way that I stayed committed to my game style and stayed focused out there.”
Shelton had two break points at 4ā4 in the second set, but he swiftly made up for it by breaking at 5ā5, with a serve-and-volley error by Shapovalov sealing his doom. According to Infosys ATP Stats, the American hit 21 winners in the match, combining his signature power moves with nine net approaches and a precise touch. He held for 5-2 in the first set after hitting two good drop shots and stretched for a hard volley winner to support the first.
