Ben Shelton in superb sportsmanship, asks umpire to give Sebastian Korda challenge he deemed was too late in Shanghai

Ben Shelton showed great sportsmanship by asking the umpire to grant Sebastian Korda a challenge during the quarterfinals at the Shanghai Open.

An intense quarterfinal match took place between two young American players: 23-year-old Sebastian Korda, who was making a strong comeback after a serious wrist injury, and 21-year-old Ben Shelton, having a breakout season with quarterfinal appearances at the Australian Open and semifinals at the US Open.

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In the closely contested match, the first set appeared to be in Shelton's favor when he secured a break and led 6-5, serving to close the set. However, Korda managed to break back, leading to a tiebreak. During the tiebreak, Shelton hit an ace, but Korda attempted to challenge the call. The chair umpire initially refused to grant the challenge as he deemed it too late and not forceful enough.

At that moment, world No. 20 Ben Shelton approached the umpire and informed him that he had indeed seen Korda's request for a challenge. Shelton told the umpire, "You can give him the challenge," said the youngstar to the umpire.

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The umpire agreed and allowed the challenge, which ultimately confirmed Shelton's ace. However, the act of fair play was applauded and appreciated by everyone in Shanghai, showcasing the true spirit of sportsmanship.

"You can give him the challenge Sportsmanship levels 💯 @BenShelton”

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Ultimately, the match tilted in favor of the world No. 26, ending after two hours and fifty-six minutes with a victory for Sebastian Korda, with a score of 6-7(10), 6-2, 7-6(6). The American advanced to his first-ever semifinals in a Masters 1000 event and secured the highest ranking of his career, placing him at least as the world No. 23.

In the semifinals, he will face the 16th seed Hubert Hurkacz, who defeated Fabian Marozsan with a score of 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

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