Tennis-Shelton gets one up on dad as he battles to Wimbledon quarter-finals
LONDON (Reuters) -American 10th seed Ben Shelton reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals for the first time on Monday when a 3-6 6-1 7-6 (1) 7-5 victory over Italian Lorenzo Sonego also gave him the family bragging rights.
Thirty-one years ago Shelton's father and current coach Bryan lost 10-8 in the fifth set to Christian Bergstrom in the last 16 at Wimbledon in what proved the high-point of his Grand Slam career.
Shelton junior, who has previously reached the semis at the Australian and U.S. Opens, was a little ragged as he dropped his first set of the tournament, but the powerful left-hander found his length and attacked the net more in a dominant second set, and then raced through a third-set tie-break.
In a nip and tuck fourth, Shelton, sporting a Rafa Nadal-style sleeveless vest, delivered an athletic final game to break and take the match, roaring in triumph.
Shelton, 22, was quick to credit his father, watching from the players' box on Number One Court.
"He kind of inspires the way that I'm playing on grass, the way that I'm moving forward, how I'm cutting off angles, wanting to mix in the serve and volley vintage style of tennis every once in a while," he said.
"He was a serve and volley -- I think I'm better than him from the baseline."
Shelton came into the match having not only not lost a set, but having dropped only two service games in three rounds.
After beating Sonego at the Australian and French Opens this year and with the Italian coming off a marathon five-hour match on Saturday, Shelton must have been in confident mood, but he was somewhat wild in the first set.
Sonego, also seeking a first Wimbledon quarter-final, was unable to maintain his consistency in the second set and Shelton quickly took command with a double break.
It looked like a relatively straightforward third set too as Shelton ramped up the power to grab an early break but Sonego dug in superbly to break back, only to be blown away 7-1 in the tie-break.
Sonego forced a rare break point at 2-2 in the fourth but Shelton somehow scrambled a brilliant John McEnroe-style pick-up half-volley to save it and went on to hold.
They then went toe to toe until the thrilling final game, highlighted by Shelton's fabulous running forehand, after which he leaped a mile off the ground to punch the air in celebration.
Shelton duly completed the win to earn a probable quarter-final against another Italian, world number one Jannik Sinner, where a victory would make it three years in a row that an American had made the semi-finals after Taylor Fritz and Chris Eubanks.
"It was difficult," Shelton said. "Every time I needed a big point, he comes up with a highlight shot, and maybe the same vice-versa, but it was a lot of fun.
"I'm happy with the way that I played that last game. I felt like that was my best tennis, my best returning, and it's what I'm going to need to continue in this tournament.
"To end the match with that sort of game gives me a lot of confidence."
(Reporting by Mitch Phillips, editing by Clare Fallon)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Sinner advances to Wimbledon quarters after Dimitrov injury heartbreak
LONDON: Jannik Sinner secured a place in the Wimbledon quarter-finals after an emotional retirement from Grigor Dimitrov during their fourth-round match. The Bulgarian, leading by two sets, was forced to withdraw due to a pectoral injury, leaving the court in tears. Sinner, the tournament's top seed, had struggled early in the match after a fall in the opening game. Despite discomfort in his right elbow, he remained on court while Dimitrov's injury abruptly ended the contest. The Italian later confirmed he would undergo an MRI scan to assess his own condition. 'Honestly I don't know what to say,' Sinner said. 'He is an incredible player, I think we all saw this today. He's been so unlucky in the past couple of years. An incredible player, a good friend of mine also.' Dimitrov, seeded 19th, had dominated the first two sets with his versatile play before the injury struck. After serving an ace to level the third set at 2-2, he collapsed in pain and was unable to continue. Sinner rushed to his aid, but Dimitrov could only wave weakly to the crowd before departing. 'I hope he has a speedy recovery,' Sinner added. 'It's very unlucky from his side. I don't take this as a win at all. This is just a very unfortunate moment to witness for all of us.' This marks Dimitrov's fifth consecutive Grand Slam retirement, with previous injuries occurring at the US Open, Australian Open, and French Open. His struggles began at Wimbledon last year when he suffered a knee injury against Daniil Medvedev. Sinner, now into his fourth straight Wimbledon quarter-final, will face Ben Shelton next. A potential semi-final clash with Novak Djokovic looms, though concerns remain over Sinner's fitness. The 23-year-old has reached the last three Grand Slam finals, winning the US Open and Australian Open while finishing runner-up at Roland Garros. - AFP
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Jasmine Paolini splits with coach after Wimbledon loss
WORLD number four Jasmine Paolini has announced her split with coach Marc Lopez shortly after her second-round defeat at Wimbledon. The Italian, who made history last year as the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final, fell to Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova in a tight three-set match. Paolini had teamed up with Lopez in April after ending a long-term collaboration with Renzo Furlan. Under Lopez, a former doubles specialist and part of Rafael Nadal's coaching team, she secured her second WTA 1000 title at the Italian Open and claimed the women's doubles crown at Roland Garros. Reflecting on their partnership, Paolini shared on social media, 'We had some great results together. Especially in Rome and Paris. I appreciate all the hard work and energy Marc gave every day.' She added, 'Now that this part of the season is over, I've decided to make a change. I've learned a lot and made good progress. And now I'm taking the time to reflect on what the next step will be.'
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Paolini parts ways with coach after early Wimbledon exit
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 2, 2025 Italy's Jasmine Paolini in action during her second round match against Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo (Reuters) -World number four Jasmine Paolini has parted company with coach Marc Lopez just days after her second-round exit from Wimbledon, the Italian said. Paolini, who last year became the first Italian woman in the Open era to reach the Wimbledon final, lost 4-6 6-4 6-4 to Russian Kamilla Rakhimova last week. The 29-year-old began working with Lopez in April after ending a decade-long partnership with Renzo Furlan. Under the guidance of Lopez, a former doubles world number three who was once part of Rafa Nadal's coaching team, Paolini won her second WTA 1000-level crown at the Italian Open and also lifted the women's doubles title at the French Open. "We had some great results together. Especially in Rome and Paris," Paolini wrote on social media on Monday. "I appreciate all the hard work and energy Marc gave every day. "Now that this part of the season is over, I've decided to make a change. "I've learned a lot and made good progress. And now I'm taking the time to reflect on what the next step will be. Thank you again, Marc, for everything." (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
