American top seed Ben Shelton triumphed over fellow American and defending champion Taylor Fritz with a score of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at the Stuttgart Open ATP final on Sunday. This victory marks Shelton’s first title on grass.
Fritz, known for his prowess on grass courts, had never lost a final on this surface before. Shelton managed to break Fritz’s serve once in both the first and third sets, securing the win after 1 hour and 48 minutes of play.
The 23-year-old, who had already played nearly five hours of tennis the previous day, demonstrated remarkable resilience, saving nine of the eleven break points he faced from Fritz.
Shelton’s Title Journey
This win represents Shelton’s third title as the world No. 5. Earlier this year, he claimed the Dallas Open in February, where he also defeated the ninth-ranked Fritz, followed by a victory at the Munich Open in April.
By achieving this feat, Shelton joins an elite group of players who have won titles on hard, clay, and grass surfaces in a single season, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Bublik, and Novak Djokovic.
Post-Match Reflections
“I’m pretty exhausted but to play the way I did, against the quality of opponents I played, in very tight matches – and getting a win today over one of the best grass court players in the world is a huge boost for my confidence,” Shelton remarked.
Fritz acknowledged Shelton’s impressive performance, noting his “insane schedule this week” and adding, “it speaks to the kind of player he is – an amazing competitor”
Path to the Final
Shelton reached the final after a grueling Saturday, where he completed a delayed quarter-final before engaging in a nearly three-hour battle against Jiri Lehecka.
Despite losing the first set in each of his prior matches during the tournament, Shelton opened strongly against Fritz, showcasing a powerful and controlled style. However, fatigue appeared to set in as Fritz dominated the second set, dropping only one point on his serve.
In the decisive final set, Fritz continued to excel on serve, but Shelton held his ground, breaking Fritz in the penultimate game and then serving out the match.
“Taylor was completely unplayable for parts of the match today,” Shelton admitted, expressing hope for his upcoming tournaments. “gives me a lot of hope going into Halle and Wimbledon”
Wimbledon is set to commence on June 29.
