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topicnews · October 25, 2024

Ben Shelton finds his ultimate cheerleader in sister Emma, ​​who supports his spectacular triumph in Basel with a heartfelt message

Ben Shelton finds his ultimate cheerleader in sister Emma, ​​who supports his spectacular triumph in Basel with a heartfelt message

Ben Shelton is causing a stir at the Swiss Indoors in Basel. Reaching the semi-finals after defeating top seed Andrey Rublev in an exciting quarter-final game. Shelton showed off his powerful serve and clutch game and delivered a flawless performance. Another win that is particularly meaningful after a challenging season that saw him fall from 13th to 23rd in the rankings. With newfound confidence, it looks like he’s found his fire!

Shelton demonstrated his resilience and skills on the indoor hard courts. The 22-year-old American was dominant on serve, firing 13 aces and saving all six break points he faced. He also converted both break points against Andrey Rublev, which proved crucial to the outcome of the game. Ultimately, he won the match with a score of 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-4. This is his fifth top 10 win! To celebrate, his younger sister Emma Shelton enthusiastically shared TennisTV’s post on her Instagram Story “Let’s go!” and a fire emoji that perfectly captures her brother’s fiery performance.

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After the game, Ben Shelton reflected on his journey and said: “I knew this was a big deal for me. “I had big problems in the quarterfinals this year against top 10 players,” referring to his previous defeats. Shelton has had a challenging season where he struggled with consistency and early exits in several tournaments. Although he showed promise with a semifinal appearance at the Citi Open. He suffered a disappointing second-round loss at the Canadian Open and struggled with injuries. Which had affected his form throughout the year. “It was a difficult hurdle to overcome, but to finally do it in the penultimate week of the year is huge for me.”

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Before facing Rublev, Shelton secured his place in the quarterfinals by defeating Stan Wawrinka in a hard-fought match, winning by a score of 7(7)-6(2), 7-5. This was his second consecutive victory over the three-time Grand Slam champion. Despite his success, Shelton remained humble and expressed his admiration for Wawrinka’s competitive spirit in a post-game interview.

“Greetings Stan!” Ben nods to Wawrinka with a heartwarming comment

During the match, the crowd was in excitement as Shelton demonstrated his powerful serve and clutch game to the 39-year-old Swiss legend. But that wasn’t the only thing that set him apart. In his post-game interview, Shelton reflected on the friendly pre-game conversations, saying: “He toured as much as I did!”

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The 22-year-old American showed great sportsmanship. While defeating an icon whose career began around the time Shelton was born. Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medalist, has left an indelible mark on tennis and Shelton acknowledged this with respect. When asked about the audience’s vocal support for Wawrinka, Shelton simply applauded the atmosphere. “I had to smile sometimes today because it’s obviously against me” he said. “But it’s so cool to see a country and a tournament get behind a guy like that who is such an icon.”

Looking ahead, Ben Shelton will face Arthur Fils in the semifinals. He describes him as one of his best friends on tour and a major rival among the younger players. “He is playing incredible tennis at the moment and there is no one I would rather play against here in Basel on Saturday. I’m looking for revenge,” Shelton said, clearly excited about the impending clash. The two were seen joking around on Swiss Indoor Basel’s Instagram story. Which only increases the anticipation for the upcoming duel between the two!