SHANGHAI — Ben Shelton, seeded sixth, faced a setback in his return to the court after a left shoulder injury sidelined him since the U.S. Open, falling to David Goffin 6-2, 6-4 in the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Friday.
Shortly after a brief rain delay, Goffin capitalized by breaking Shelton’s serve, marking a challenging return for the American player.
Despite the five-week hiatus, Shelton had expressed optimism earlier this week about his chances to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin, Italy, starting November 9.
Currently sitting sixth in the ATP points race, with only eight players making the finals, Shelton’s defeat on Friday may complicate his aspirations.
“This is the first time I’ve found myself in a strong position at this point in the year for Turin,” Shelton shared with the ATP Tour website prior to facing Goffin. “I’m hopeful for a couple of solid results to secure my spot.”
In another exciting second-round clash, American Frances Tiafoe, seeded 25th, was edged out by Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann with a scoreline of 6-7 (9), 6-2, 6-1.
All top-seeded players in Shanghai were granted first-round byes, with No. 4 Novak Djokovic and fifth-seeded Taylor Fritz scheduled for action later on Friday.
Jannik Sinner, who triumphed in the China Open final in Beijing on Wednesday, is set to make his appearance on Saturday. Meanwhile, top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz announced he would skip Shanghai due to minor health concerns following his victory over Fritz in the Japan Open final.
