American rising star Ben Shelton has set up a tantalizing quarterfinal clash with world No. 8 Andrey Rublev at the Swiss Indoors Basel after overcoming home favorite Stan Wawrinka in a thrilling 7-6 (2), 7-5 victory.
Shelton, the sixth seed, displayed remarkable resilience and clutch play in the face of a spirited challenge from the three-time Grand Slam champion Wawrinka. The 22-year-old American’s powerful serve and ability to execute in crucial moments proved decisive.
“I thought I was just tough in the big moments,” Shelton said after the match. “There was a lot of challenges out there today, but I thought he played a really good match. The crowd was really into it, obviously, behind their guy.”
Shelton’s victory continues his impressive run of form indoors this season. He has yet to drop a set in Basel and has shown steady improvement since his breakout 2023 campaign, which included a semifinal appearance at the US Open.
Wawrinka, despite his age, remains a formidable opponent, as evidenced by his recent semifinal finish in Stockholm. However, Shelton’s ability to break serve at a crucial juncture in the second set proved to be the difference.
In the quarterfinals, Shelton will face a stern test against Rublev, who has also been in impressive form in Basel. The Russian has won both of his matches in straight sets and currently sits eighth in the ATP Finals race.
Meanwhile, in other quarterfinal matchups, No. 3 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (3), 7-5, while No. 7 seed Arthur Fils upset Pedro Martinez in straight sets.
