Ben Shelton’s momentum grows with dominant win over Karen Khachanov

Ben Shelton continues his Indian Wells campaign after comfortably defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-5 to reach the tournament's fourth round for the second consecutive year. The American now has 22 Masters 1000 victories and marks his fifth Round of 16 appearance.

Facing him was an experienced opponent in Khachanov, the 2018 Paris Masters champion—where he defeated none other than Novak Djokovic in the final—who came into the match after a remarkable comeback against young Czech Jakub Mensik.

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First Set

With two players who rely on short points when serving, it was expected that breaking serve would be difficult. From the start, Shelton had to fend off multiple break points, and the Russian seemed close to taking the lead.

After missing four break chances, Khachanov stepped up to serve at 3-4 to stay level, but that’s when Shelton struck. A few moments of hesitation from the Russian were enough for the World No. 12 to secure the break, and he quickly closed out the set 6-3.

Shelton struggled with his first serve, landing just 54% compared to the Russian’s 62%. However, in the key moments, it was the American who showed greater composure.

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Second Set

The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players holding their service games well, posting a 69% first-serve percentage. Khachanov wasted another break opportunity in the fourth game, and every time he put Shelton under pressure, the American found his best tennis.

Things shifted late in the set when Khachanov saved three break points before capitalizing on his first chance to go up 5-3. It seemed like the match was headed for a decider, but Shelton broke straight back.

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Riding that momentum, the American completely overpowered Khachanov in the closing stretch, winning four consecutive games—including two breaks—to seal the victory 6-3, 7-5 in one hour and 35 minutes.

A strong win for Shelton, who is edging closer to breaking into the Top 10 for the first time in his career. In the Round of 16, he will face compatriot Brandon Nakashima (World No. 32).

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