Shelton at the helm of American tennis, Tiafoe still in the doldrums
Ben Shelton emerged victorious from the 100% American final against Frances Tiafoe on the crushed brick of Houston on Sunday. He beat his compatriot, the defending champion, after a fine battle lasting over two hours (7-5, 4-6, 6-3). It was his first clay-court final and, consequently, his first ATP title on the ochre surface.
At the age of 21, Shelton has established himself even more as the future boss of US tennis. Thanks to this success, he moved up two places in the ATP rankings published on Monday. He is now ranked 14th in the world, two places ahead of Tommy Paul, and trails only one of his compatriots: Taylor Fritz, 13th in the world.
For Tiafoe, the disappointing start to the season continues. Although there was some improvement in Houston, the former world No.10 (currently 23rd) failed to retain his title. He is still a long way from the level that enabled him to reach the semi-finals of the US Open 2022. We thought he was finally on his way to the heights he had seemed destined to reach for years. But he has failed to live up to those promises. At the age of 26, he can't afford to waste any more time.
