Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Ben Shelton saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz in Dallas Open final and capture his first title of the season and fourth ATP Tour title. The 23-year-old roared back from a set down to earn a 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory for his second ATP 500 trophy, saving all three championship points in a nervy 10th game of the decider.
With the one-hour, 51-minute victory, Shelton improved to 2-1 in his ATP head-to-head series with Fritz. Since the beginning of 2025, Shelton is 11-4 in deciding-set matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, including nine wins from a set down.
“It feels amazing. I thank God, because I needed something super natural to end up winning this tournament with all the holes that I was in. I feel grateful to play five matches out here with these crowds. The energy was amazing,” said Shelton after the win.
“I had to fight until the last minute. Fritz was playing very good tennis and I was struggling a lot with what he was throwing at me. I tried to be a competitor through and through, and I ended up coming out on top. I think it’s a testament to the work me and my team put in,” he added.
Despite falling short in the final, Fritz can reflect on another positive run to his 20th tour-level final. The American No. 1 now heads to the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach, where he is the top seed. “It was a crazy match, a fun match to be a part of — until the end. Congrats to Ben and his team. He played great and in the end, he played the big points and important moments really well,” Fritz said.
