Ben Shelton came back from one set down to beat Jordan Thompson 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3 at the Kinoshita Group Japan Open in Tokyo. Shelton has reached his fourth quarter final of the season. The US 21-year-old player advanced to the semifinal at the US Open and the quarter finals at the Australian Open and Shanghai.
Shelton broke serve in the third game to take a 2-1 lead of the first set. Thompson broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Thompson saved four break points in the eleventh game to take a 6-5 lead. Shelton earned a mini-break to take a 3-2 lead. Thompson pulled back on serve to draw level to 3-3. The Australian player got his second mini-break on the 11th point to win the tie-break 7-5.
Neither player earned a break point in the first nine games. Shelton broke serve on his second set point in the 10th game to win the second set 6-4 forcing the match to the decider.
Shelton earned an early break in the fourth game and served out the win on his second match point.
Shelton will face Tommy Paul, who beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-4 6-2 in 86 minutes to reach his ninth quarter final and his sixth on hard court. Shelton will face Paul for the third time this season after their previous two head-to-head matches in the fourth round at the US Open and in the quarter final at the Australian Open.
McDonald saved two break points in the sixth game after four deuces. Paul closed out the first set on his third set point on return in the 10th game.
Paul broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead in the second set. The 2023 Australian Open semifinal earned his second break on his third match point in the eighth game.
Paul won 21 of his 22 points behind his first serve and did not face a break point. The US player is currently 12th in the ATP Live Race to Turin, 515 points behind Rune.
“The fast courts are a little bit more fun because you can really take advantage of well-struck shots and get to the net. It’s quicker points, your serve is a little bit more effective. I enjoy a fast hard court”, said Paul.
Marcos Giron beat second seed Casper Ruud 6-3 6-4 in 1 hour and 21 minutes to set up a quarter final match against Felix Auger Aliassime.
Giron broke twice in the third and ninth games to win the first set 6-3. Ruud earned a break in the fifth game and held serve to take a 4-2 lead. Giron reeled off four consecutive games to seal the second set 6-4 drawing level to 1-1 in his head-to-head series against Ruud. Ruud lost in the quarter final at the China Open in Beijing and in the Round of 16 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters.
