Shelton reaches career high in latest ATP Rankings as first European clay court adventure continues

Rising American star Ben Shelton has exceeded his expectations during his first clay-court season on the ATP main draw, as the 20-year old continues to rise on the ATP Ranking table.

Although Shelton lost in the opening round of his first Madrid Open to eventual finalist Jan-Lennard Struff, the Atlanta native made the most of his time in Italy and took his talents to an ATP Challenger event in Cagliari.

Seeded second at the event, Shelton displayed some exceptional tennis to reach the semifinals, losing to fourth seed Laslo Djere in a close three-set match. However, his performance was enough to see him accumulate more ATP ranking points, and he rose to a new career high of World No.35.

Due to his new ranking, Shelton is the seeded 28th at the ongoing Rome Open, with his opponent yet to be determined.