Shelton Overcomes Fritz to Win Stuttgart Open
American top seed Ben Shelton secured the Stuttgart Open ATP title on Sunday by defeating fellow American and defending champion Taylor Fritz with a scoreline of 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
Fritz, known as a grass court specialist, had never lost a final on this surface prior to this match. Shelton managed to break Fritz's serve once in the first set and once again in the third set, clinching the victory in 1 hour and 48 minutes.
The 23-year-old Shelton, who endured nearly five hours of tennis the previous day, faced challenging moments during the match but successfully defended nine of Fritz’s eleven break points.
Third Title of the Season for Shelton
This victory marked Shelton's third title of the season and contributed to his rise to world No. 5. Earlier in the year, Shelton won the Dallas Open in February, where he also defeated Fritz, who was ranked ninth at the time, and the Munich Open in April.
By winning titles on hard, clay, and grass courts within a single season, Shelton joined an elite group of players this decade, including Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Bublik, and Novak Djokovic.
“I’m pretty exhausted but to play the way I did, against the quality of opponents I played, in very tight matches – and getting a win today over one of the best grass court players in the world is a huge boost for my confidence,” Shelton said.
Fritz Commends Shelton’s Performance
Fritz acknowledged Shelton’s demanding schedule during the week and praised his competitiveness.
“It speaks to the kind of player he is – an amazing competitor,” Fritz said, referring to Shelton’s “insane schedule this week.”
Physically Demanding Path to the Final
Shelton reached Sunday’s final after a taxing Saturday. He completed a delayed quarter-final match earlier in the day and then engaged in a nearly three-hour battle against Jiri Lehecka in the afternoon.
Throughout the tournament, Shelton had lost the first set in each of his three previous matches but managed to take the opening set in the final with a powerful and controlled display. However, the physical toll became apparent as Fritz dominated the second set, losing just one point on his serve.
In the final set, Fritz continued to serve strongly, but Shelton maintained his composure, breaking serve in the penultimate game and then serving out the match.
“Taylor was completely unplayable for parts of the match today,” Shelton remarked, adding that his performance “gives me a lot of hope going into Halle and Wimbledon.”
