"There was no way I was going down today" - Unwavering Shelton delighted with ATP Finals qualification

Ben Shelton was overjoyed after securing his ATP Finals qualification in the Paris Masters. He confirmed this by defeating Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3 to book his ticket to Turin and to prolong his campaign in Paris.

The 23-year-old knew that a win would be enough to make the ATP Finals for the first time in his career. After a first set with no breaks, he squandered three set points on the bounce in the tiebreaker before eventually getting over the line. After falling behind the Russian in the second set, Shelton turned on the afterburners and swept the remaining four games to secure a priceless victory. He will face the world number two Jannik Sinner in the quarter-finals, which may come into good practice for Turin in a couple of weeks.

"I kind of knew after last night that going into today, I could lock up my spot," Shelton said in an interview with Tennis Channel. "I knew that’s what I was playing for today, and I just told my dad before I went on court, I said, 'I’ve got the chance to control my own destiny, and there’s no way I’m going down today.' So yeah, I played one of my best matches of the year — which was crazy, because I haven’t been in the best form. I’ve been trying to find it again post–US Open, and to find the level that I found today with my back against the wall was a pretty cool feeling.

Despite not being in his best form, Rublev is always a dangerous opponent to come up against. The two-time Masters 1000 champion proved to be a tricky customer for Shelton, who admitted that he was 'playing amazing.'

"My goal was just to get through my service games as easily as possible — hit my spots, do what I’ve been doing since I got here," Shelton said. "I’ve been in a great serving rhythm, and it’s tough to break me when I’m serving like that. Then on the return games, just dig — try to get every ball back in play, try to get on top of him on the second-serve return, and find offense. But the way he was hitting the ball made it really difficult. So it wasn’t straightforward — it was a lot of fighting, a lot of long points, a lot of running. Probably one of the more physical two-set matches I’ve ever had. To get over the line the way I did, breaking twice in the second set, I couldn’t be happier."

Former tennis player Prakash Amritraj picked up on the improvement in Shelton's footwork which aids his defensive game, while also stating how physical of a player he is. When asked if it has come in important in recent weeks, Shelton said: "Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with how you work on it — and it’s been a point of emphasis for me. But there’s no substitute for match play. I think the way I’ve been competing — getting a bit more gritty, trying to win the longer rallies, and turning that into a strength rather than a weakness — that’s helped my footwork and fitness automatically. When I haven’t played for a while, once I get four or five matches under my belt, I start to find it again and feel good moving in the quarters, hitting on the run. That’s been one of the big points of emphasis that’s taken me to the next level this year. There’s still a lot more work to do, but I’m happy with the progress.  

As the ATP Finals approach, Shelton is close to finding his best game. "I’m close. Every match is different, but I definitely had it today," the American said. "Tomorrow’s a completely different day, though. I think the way I competed and dealt with adversity is one of the most important parts of coming back — being able to handle the negatives when things don’t go your way. That’s something I’ve seen slowly improve since coming back and getting back into form. The tennis will be there some days and not others. No one’s perfect — this isn’t a sport where you can achieve perfection. But being able to handle those tough moments — that’s the most important thing. Just because the tennis isn’t there doesn’t mean you can’t come away with a win."

Shelton's coach is his dad, Bryan, with the pair sharing a lot of ups and downs in the past. Today was a very positive day for them, with Shelton claiming they were both 'excited.'

"Yeah, it was dope. We were both just excited because we knew — from the way we were talking before the match — that there was no way I was going down today," Shelton said. "I told him I was going to find a way no matter what the guy threw at me. And Andrey threw everything at me — that was a tough match. He played extremely well, and with the way I’d been playing in my last three or four matches, the way he played today, he would’ve beaten me. So I had to raise my level in a big way to win that match, and I did exactly what I said I was going to do before stepping on court. That’s what we were most hyped about and excited about. Obviously, locking up the spot and qualifying for the year-end championships — that was a big goal from the beginning of the year. It was a great moment, but we’ve got a lot more work to do. The year’s not over yet, so there’s still plenty to be excited about."