Ben Shelton has equaled his father Bryan’s achievement at the Mexican Open by securing victory over Matteo Arnaldi in the Round of 16 on Wednesday, February 28.
Shelton’s journey in Acapulco began with a challenging match against Dan Evans in the first round. After conceding the first set 2-6 to the formidable Evans, the 21-year-old rallied back to claim the second set 7-5. He then displayed resilience in a tight third set, ultimately prevailing in the tiebreak 7-6(5) to advance to the Round of 16.
In his next encounter, Shelton faced Matteo Arnaldi, who had caused a stir in the tournament by defeating Taylor Fritz in the opening round. The match proved to be a closely contested affair, with Arnaldi pushing Shelton to a tiebreak in the first set.
However, Shelton seized control in the tiebreak, securing the set 7-6(1). Despite a setback in the second set, where Arnaldi emerged victorious 6-3, Shelton regained his composure to clinch the deciding set 6-3.
With this triumph, Shelton emulates his father’s achievement from three decades ago, when Bryan reached the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open held in Mexico City. Bryan’s memorable run included a doubles title alongside Francisco Montana in 1994, adding to the family’s legacy at the prestigious tournament.
