The crowd at the Shanghai Masters 2024 could not have wished for a better first-round draw than watching Denis Shapovalov and Ben Shelton facing each other. While the game ended in two sets, it was nothing but a fiercely contested battle. Despite the contest having several noticeable moments, what caught fans’ attention was the honest interaction between the two players at the nets.
After Shelton defeated Shapovalov, the Canadian lauded the American for his skills when they went to the nets for the ceremonial handshake. However, he also expressed his desire to avoid ‘running into’ Shelton again. The Canadian’s words stemmed from the fact that all three of his encounters with the world number 16 had ended in defeat.
“Maybe one of these times I won’t run into you when I am having a run,” said Shelton.
However, Shelton reacted humbly to the comment, telling Shapovalov that he has been “playing well,” to which the Canadian replied with a thank you.
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In one of the eagerly anticipated opening-round games, Shelton defeated his Canadian counterpart in straight sets. The American easily won the first set 6-3, but Shapovalov responded well in the second. By winning five games in that set, he pushed Shelton to the limit. However, the American wrapped up the contest without going to the final set and handed Shapovalov his third consecutive loss on the ATP tour.
Past clashes of Shelton vs Shapovalov
The two met for the first time at the 2024 Wimbledon in the round-of-32 stage. Shapovalov pushed the contest to the fifth set, with both players tied at 2-2. However, the American completely dominated the final set and defeated him 6-2.
Their second appearance came at the Washington Open, where Shelton was leading the match after winning the first set in a tiebreaker. The second set was also tied at 6-6 when Shapovalov was asked to walk out due to the alleged misconduct of shouting at a spectator. This gave Shelton his second victory over the Canadian.
The American will next face Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena in the round of 32. Shelton already has an edge over the Spaniard, having beaten him in a quarterfinal contest in Auckland at the ASB Classic this year — the only time they have met till now.
