INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — In a stunning display of talent, Ben Shelton has etched his name in the history books as the youngest American man to reach the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals since the legendary Andy Roddick in 2004. Shelton triumphed over Brandon Nakashima in convincing straight sets on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old sensation showcased his skills with a dominant second set, sealing the match with a score of 7-6 (6), 6-1. After a closely contested 61-minute first set, Shelton quickly dashed to a commanding 5-0 lead in the second, finishing it in just 20 remarkable minutes. Remarkably, he remains unbeaten against Nakashima in their five encounters, each of which he has won without dropping a set.
On the other hand, the formidable Carlos Alcaraz, ranked second, also made his mark, advancing to the quarterfinals without losing a set. The four-time Grand Slam victor easily dispatched No. 14 seeded Grigor Dimitrov with a resounding 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Meanwhile, the women’s tournament saw a surprising turn of events as third-seeded Coco Gauff was knocked out in the round of 16 by unseeded Belinda Bencic. The 28-year-old wild card from Switzerland staged a remarkable comeback to clinch victory with scores of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
This upset was a reversal of their Australian Open matchup in January, when Gauff had emerged victorious after dropping the first set. Unfortunately for Gauff, the defeat came just a day before her 21st birthday, and she experienced a crucial break at 4-4 in the final set after briefly leading 40-0.
Throughout the tournament, Gauff encountered difficulties with her serve, committing eight double-faults while managing only four aces in her match against Bencic.
Australian Open champion Madison Keys, ranked third, fought back from adversity to secure a thrilling 4-6, 7-6 (7), 6-3 victory over 19th-seeded Donna Vekic. The 30-year-old American has now extended her winning streak to an impressive 15 matches after overcoming a 5-3 deficit and facing two match points against her in the second set.
In another match, top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka dominated with a swift 6-1, 6-2 victory over Sonay Kartal, who faced a top-10 ranked opponent for the first time.
Britain’s Jack Draper delivered a surprising upset by defeating third-seeded American Taylor Fritz, a former Indian Wells champion, with scores of 7-5, 6-4. Meanwhile, Francisco Cerundolo from Argentina outplayed Australian Alex de Minaur with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3.
