Shelton steams ahead with defeat of Rinderknech

Ben Shelton locked in a Paris Masters quarter-final for a second straight edition on Thursday, defeating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5).

The third seed matched the 16 aces of his local opponent in front of a home crowd at the Le Defense arena.

Shelton got more comfortable on what many are calling a fast indoor court – though the player himself disagrees.

He rallied after dropping the opening set and slowly worked his way into superiority over Rinderknech, winning on a first match point as his opponent dived for a drop volley but ended up sprawled on the court at the net.

Shelton is already qualified for the ATP Finals starting November 15 in Turin.

He faces year-end contender and US compatriot Tommy Paul, a 7-6 (3), 6-4 winner over France’s Quentin Halys..  

Paul needs two more wins here to stay in contention for Turin, with compatriot Frances Tiafoe also in that mix.

 “It’s been a long time (early 2024) since I’ve been on court with Tommy.  He’s in great form. I’ve been rooting for him to make a big push and make it to Turin.”

Shelton was pleased with how he fought back for victory against Rinderknech. It was a really close match, high quality,” he said. 

“I didn’t touch a ball on break point chances in the third set – he came up with the goods.

“I played a clutch tiebreak and didn’t make any stupid decisions. Sometimes, that is all that you need.

“I’m getting more and more confident each day on this court.”

Main photo:- Ben Shelton into Paris quarters – by ISF Ltd