Shanghai 2023 - 15 Aces and a Crazy Tie-Break: How Shelton Took Down Sinner in the Round of 16
Shanghai, October 10, 2023 – At the Chinese tournament, 21-year-old Ben Shelton upset then sixth-seeded Jannik Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6, securing his spot in the quarterfinals.
The match began under the sign of Italian dominance: Sinner imposed his rhythm, strung together powerful shots, capitalized on his consistency, and took the first set 6-2. Shelton wasn't yet in rhythm. In the second set, the tide turned. Shelton, often dominated until then, began to find his bearings. His serve gained accuracy, his forehands bit, and he broke Sinner down (6-3).
The key moment came right at the start of the third-set tie-break: Shelton led 4-0, but Sinner furiously fought back to level. In the final points, Shelton dug deep into his reserves to close out the match (7-5 in the decisive game).
In terms of statistics, Shelton fired 15 aces throughout the match and won 73% of points behind his first serve. However, he managed to break his opponent's serve only once. On his side, Sinner committed 36 unforced errors, an unusual number for him (compared to 31 for Shelton).
This victory is one of the biggest in Shelton's young career: not only does he reach the quarterfinals of a Masters 1000, but he also ends Sinner's streak of seven consecutive wins in China. Nevertheless, despite this prestigious win, Shelton, then the tournament's 19th seed, ran into Korda in the next round, losing in three sets (6-7, 6-2, 7-6).
