The year 2023 is the year of Ben Shelton. At 21 years old, the American made one of the biggest victories on the circuit in recent months, culminating this Sunday with his first title, the ATP 500 in Tokyo after defeating Russian Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 in the final.
The fight ended up 5-5 in the first set, when the American left-hander won his rival’s serve for the first time.who was suddenly nervous despite his more experience on the circuit.
The second set was uneven, with Shelton becoming more confident and enthusiastic, while Karatsev made more and more unforced errors. Angry at his own awkwardness, the 30-year-old Russian smashed his racket on the ground and he was completely outclassed in the end.
Ben Shelton made another important move in Tokyo, after reaching the semifinals at the US Open in September and the quarterfinals at the Shanghai Masters 1000 ten days ago.
“I want to thank the incredible fans who have been here all week which has been really special for me. I always do everything to win when I’m here. I also try to be entertaining at times and I hope to make you laugh and give a show,” the ambitious Shelton said at the trophy ceremony for what is to come.
“At the beginning of the season, I lost a lot of games, so I feel a little fresh going into the last stage of the season. I really want to go back to Europe and finish strong in 2023 in indoor tournaments” he explained.
With this success, Shelton also achieved the best ranking of his careerafter rising from 19th to 14th place.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Robert Maynard, and I am a passionate journalist with experience in sports writing. For the last few years, I have been writing for Today Times Live. My main focus has been on sports-related stories and features. With my strong background in journalism and extensive knowledge of the industry, I am able to provide readers with well-crafted pieces that are both informative and engaging.
