The 19-year-old has now advanced to two ATP Challenger Tour finals and two semi-finals in his home country. Prior to losing to John Isner in a third-set tie-break last month in Atlanta, he also won in his tour-level debut, earning acclaim from the American after the match. His ranking in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings was also boosted by the victory.
After the game, Shelton commented, “It means a lot to get my first Masters 1000 win. I was quite appreciative that Eric [Butorac], the tournament director, gave me a wild card here. I’m overjoyed to get to play my first one over here in America. I’m looking forward to Round 2 because of the fantastic vibe here and how much fun today was.”
