Ben Shelton and Sebastian Korda will face off in an all-American quarter-final at the 2023 Shanghai Masters. This is the first time the ATP 1000 tournament will see two Americans in the last eight. Players from the USA have always underperformed in the Chinese event. However, this could kickstart the reversal of that trend.
After years of yearning for their next superstar, American tennis saw a glimpse of hope in 2023. The US Open saw a handful of local lads make it to the advanced stages. Now, an American is guaranteed to feature in the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters. Two of the youngest USA stars will battle it out to make history in the absence of elite names like Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe.
Ben Shelton has good Shanghai Masters run
Ben Shelton grabbed headlines after making it to the 2023 US Open semi-finals as an unseeded player. He silenced a large section of his doubters by winning all his matches at the 2023 Laver Cup, helping Team World take the trophy. After opting to skip the China Open, Shelton entered the Shanghai Masters seeded 19th. He swept aside Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 64 to begin his campaign on a great note.
Up next for Shelton was Roman Safiullin, who had eliminated Andy Murray and #9 seed Alexander Zverev in a giant-killing spree. The German star threatened to end Shelton’s run, taking the first set in their Round of 32 battle. The 21-year-old, however, bounced back to win the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Ben Shelton faced his biggest test after that, coming up against Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16. The Italian was coming fresh off his China Open title triumph and looked imperious, winning the first set 6-2. Shelton, though, fired 15 aces in the match and completed another comeback victory, winning the third set tiebreak. He beat Sinner 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) to set up a historic all-USA quarter-final with Korda.
In a field where other American competitors like Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Christopher Eubanks and Mackenzie McDonald fell off early, Shelton emerges as the biggest hope. No American has ever made it to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters but now, the young star is a favourite to write his name into the record books.
Few might even say he is a dark horse to win the title. Korda, however, is no pushover and Shelton will have to deal with his countryman first.
Sebastian Korda announces himself
Like Ben Shelton, Sebastian Korda also received a bye courtesy of being seeded. He got his campaign underway by dispatching Chinese wildcard Bu Yunchaokete 6-1, 6-4. The American hit the headlines after a big shocking win over World No.3 Daniil Medvedev in the Round of 32. The defending champion was a leading favourite to lift the trophy again but Korda upset all calculations by winning 7-6 (10-8), 6-2.
In the next round, #26 seed Korda was pitted against #20 seed Francisco Cerundolo. He continued his top form and beat the Argentine 7-5, 7-6 (8-6). He became only the third American after Andy Roddick and Jack Sock to reach the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters. The former made it in 2011 while the latter in 2016. Korda was soon joined by compatriot Shelton, the first time two Americans made it to the quarterfinals in the Chinese ATP 1000 tournament. Tommy Paul and J.J. Wolf could have joined the duo as well, but failed to win their Round of 16 fixtures.
As fate would have it, the two Americans will play each other in the quarter-finals. This also means at least one player from the USA will be in the semi-finals, a first in the Shanghai Masters. Ben Shelton, 21, and Sebastian Korda, 23, symbolise a hopeful future for American tennis. The nation has long been praying for superstar and now, they could have two.
