Home / Sports / Basilashvili Stuns Shelton in Rome Upset
Basilashvili Stuns Shelton in Rome Upset
9 May
Summary
- Basilashvili defeated World No. 6 Ben Shelton in Rome.
- The Georgian player reached his first Masters 1000 third round since 2022.
- Shelton struggled with Basilashvili's consistent, heavy hitting.
Nikoloz Basilashvili secured a notable victory at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Saturday, upsetting World No. 6 Ben Shelton with a score of 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-3. This win marks Basilashvili's advancement to the third round of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time since Indian Wells in 2022.
The Georgian player expressed immense satisfaction with the win, especially against a Top 10 opponent. He acknowledged feeling tight at the match's start but ultimately prevailed by capitalizing on 39 unforced errors from Shelton and employing consistent, deep hitting. The 34-year-old improved his record against Top 10 players to 9-24.
Shelton, who was seeking to recover from a previous defeat, struggled to consistently absorb Basilashvili's powerful groundstrokes. While the American managed to force a second-set tie-break, Basilashvili reasserted control in the deciding set to seal the upset. Shelton has now won only one match across five Masters 1000 events this season.
