Shelton saves 3 championship points for gripping Dallas final win vs. Fritz
Ben Shelton brought the thunder when it mattered most on Sunday at the Nexo Dallas Open, where he saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz and capture his first title of the season.
The 23-year-old roared back to earn an explosive 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory for his second ATP 500 trophy, saving all three championship points in a nervy 10th game of the decider. After that pivotal hold, Shelton dropped just three more points en route to winning his fourth ATP Tour title, and first indoors.
Big Ben strikes in Dallas 🤠@BenShelton claims the title on home soil after saving three match points to defeat compatriot Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5! @NexoDallasOpen | #DALOpen pic.twitter.com/rVSowg1Zj7
— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026
In a high-octane matchup between the top two seeds that ebbed and flowed right until the last ball, Shelton showed supreme composure under pressure. He let slip a break lead in the final set and then looked down and out, but showed some gutsy tennis at the dying embers to dish Fritz a painful defeat.
With the one-hour, 51-minute victory, Shelton improved to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fritz.
More to follow…
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