Shelton Subdues Wawrinka To Reach Quarters

Shelton subdues Wawrinka 7-6, 7-5 to reach quarters at the Swiss Indoors Basel

Ben Shelton from the United States is on the prowl for his second title of the season having triumphed on the dirt in Houston (d. Tiafoe) in April. Unable to defend his title in Tokyo, his ranking dropped from a career-high of thirteen to #23. The twenty-two-year-old southpaw from Atlanta, Georgia with a win/loss record of 38/23, is the sixth seed in Basel facing the Swiss national, Stan Wawrinka.

Wawrinka, who has won sixteen career titles, including three grand slams, is currently ranked #169, having achieved a career-high rank of #3 a decade ago. The thirty-nine-year-old tour veteran continues to work his way back up the rankings following several debilitating injuries and surgeries.

This fall he has played at an exceedingly high level dispatching Brandon Nakashima, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, and Andrey Rublev at the Nordic Open before succumbing to Tommy Paul in straights in the semis. With his opening round three-set defeat of Adrian Mannarino, he became the oldest player to win a match in Basel.

This was their first tour-level meeting. Wawrinka won the toss and elected to receive. Shelton hit two winners, including an ace up the tee, and held to 30, while Wawrinka hit three consecutive winners, including two aces, and held at love to level.

Photo by Marcio Machado/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

The American hit three winners including his second ace and held at love for 2-1 while Wawrinka hit two blistering forehand winners and held at love for parity. Shelton struck four consecutive winners and held at love for 3-2 while Wawrinka opened with an ace and held to 30 to level.

Shelton struggled in the seventh game facing two deuce and two break points but with three consecutive first serves including another ace, held for 4-3. Wawrinka hit two consecutive winners including a serve and volley play and held easily to 15 to level.

Shelton opened the ninth with a winning serve and volley play and while he faced another break point, held for 5-4 with an ace up the tee. Wawrinka serving to stay in the set, hit three remarkable winners including a crosscourt backhand volley on game point to level.

Shelton opened the eleventh with two consecutive forehand winners and held at love with his fifth ace. Wawrinka serving to stay in the set and force the breaker, missed 3/6 first serves including a double fault but extracted a backhand error to level at 6-6. Shelton…