Gea Upsets Shelton in Shanghai

Arthur Gea of France, ranked 56th in the world, beat Ben Shelton of the United States, the No. 3 seed, 7⁠–⁠6(5), 7⁠–⁠6(3) in the third round of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, 11 October, the biggest win of his career (AFP; ATP Tour). A seed is a player the organisers rank among the favourites in the draw. The Shanghai Masters is one of the men's tour's Masters 1000 events, the level just below the four Grand Slam tournaments, and the second-last of the season at that level (ATP Tour).

Both sets went to a tiebreak, a short deciding game played when a set reaches six games each. Gea won the first 7⁠–⁠5 and the second 7⁠–⁠3 to finish a match that lasted two hours and seven minutes (ATP Tour). It was the first time the two had played each other (ATP Tour; Tennis Majors).

The match was close throughout. Gea led 5⁠–⁠3 in the first set before Shelton came back to 5⁠–⁠5 (AFP). Gea had served for the set at 5⁠–⁠4 but lost that game, a break of serve, which is when the player receiving wins the game (ATP Tour). In the second set he recovered after losing his serve at 3⁠–⁠3, then won the tiebreak. At 6⁠–⁠3 in that tiebreak he had three match points, chances to win the match, and took the first (ATP Tour; AP via Sportsnet).

Each player broke serve three times from eight chances, according to Tennis Majors. Shelton hit more winners, 29 to 25, and more aces, seven to four, but also made 27 unforced errors, six more than Gea (Tennis Majors). Gea won 20 of his 28 points at the net (ATP Tour).

The 21-year-old is playing in the main draw of a Masters 1000 event for the first time, and this was his first win over a player in the world's top ten (ATP Tour; Tennis Majors). He started the year ranked 241st and won his first tour title in July in Los Cabos, Mexico (ATP Tour; AFP). At the US Open he reached the fourth round as a lucky loser, a player who loses in qualifying but gets into the draw when someone withdraws, and then lost in five sets to Botic van de Zandschulp (ATP Tour). The ATP said Sunday's win lifts him to No. 48 in its live rankings (ATP Tour). In Shanghai he had already beaten Jaime Faria of Portugal and Ugo Humbert of France, the No. 30 seed (ESPN; Tennis Majors).

"It has been an incredible few weeks," Gea said. "I changed my game a lot. I am more confident on the court" (ATP Tour). He told AFP the win was "amazing, to be honest" (AFP).

Shelton, ranked fourth in the world and the runner-up at the US Open last month, turned 24 on Friday, the day he won his first match in Shanghai (ATP Tour; AP via Sportsnet; Tennis Majors). Apart from the Davis Cup, the team competition between countries, in September, this was his first event since the US Open; he pulled out of the tournament in Tokyo with a shoulder injury, according to the ATP (ATP Tour).

Shelton said: "I got outplayed today." He added: "My body wasn't ready," and said jet lag had also taken a toll (AFP).

The loss also delays his place at the ATP Finals, the season-ending event for the year's eight best men, in Turin. According to Tennis Majors, a win would have secured his place there for a second year running, and he now has to wait to join Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz among the qualifiers (Tennis Majors). He is fourth in the race to Turin, the season's points table that decides who qualifies (ATP Tour).

Gea plays Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic, the No. 13 seed, in the fourth round. Mensik beat Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina, the No. 21 seed, 6⁠–⁠3, 3⁠–⁠6, 6⁠–⁠2 on Sunday (ATP Tour; ESPN). ESPN lists their match for Tuesday, 13 October (ESPN).