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.
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.
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”
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.