Particle.news

Shelton Saves Three Match Points to Defeat Fritz for Dallas Open Title

The 23-year-old world No. 9 secured his fourth ATP trophy in an all‑American final that capped a serve‑heavy week in Texas.

Overview

  • Ben Shelton beat top seed Taylor Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, saving three championship points while serving at 4-5 in the deciding set.
  • Fritz controlled the opener behind dominant serving but a late third‑set double fault at 5-5 helped Shelton earn the decisive break.
  • Shelton came from a set down in each of his last three matches and improved to 4-0 in ATP finals.
  • The final featured the world’s two highest‑ranked American men, guaranteeing a home champion and underscoring a week defined by tight service holds and tiebreaks.
  • Paths to the final included Fritz defeating Marin Cilic in consecutive tiebreaks and Shelton edging defending champion Denis Shapovalov in a third‑set tiebreak, after Fritz earlier reported an elbow scare in his quarterfinal.