Could say it was the first of many as Ben Shelton has claimed his maiden ATP Tour title on Sunday morning at the Japan Open in Tokyo.
Shelton saw off Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 for the biggest win of his career and will now make his top 15 debut tomorrow in the updated ATP Rankings.
Before recent weeks, the 21-year-old who has only been on the tour a year failed to replicate what he produced in the Grand Slams, but after his run at the US Open, he has been backing it up and has done so again.
It was a very tight first set, with both dominating on their respective service holds. But it was Shelton who took the late and decisive advantage. He took a break at 6-5 before serving it out to take the early lead.
The second set was a lot more dominant. The only game that Karatsev won was to hold serve in the opener. Shelton despite the scoreline suggesting dominance did so on his service games and also took his chances when Karatsev faltered on his service and never handed a break point chance to the Russian en route to a popular title win.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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