Ben Shelton is quietly having a terrific begin to his clay court docket season. He received his first ATP doubles title at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship along with his Florida Gators teammate Andres Andrade.
He is a finalist for the second straight year at the BMW Open. No American man has received this match since Ivan Lendl in 1993. Besides Shelton, Taylor Fritz, the 2024 finalist, is the solely different participant to come shut.
Advertisement
Europeans have dominated this match since its inception in 1899. Budge Patty was a three-time champion in the Nineteen Fifties, and Sandy Mayer received in 1973.
MORE: Carlos Alcaraz’s Roland Garros Nike kit is allegedly leaked
Can Shelton change into the fourth American champion ever at BMW Open?
Shelton is enjoying an impressed Flavio Cobolli who channeled a private tragedy of shedding a pal from residence this week to play the finest tennis of his profession towards Alexander Zverev in the semifinals.
Defeating the hometown favourite and three-time champion Zverev is no small process. Cobolli broke down in tears after the win.
This will probably be an entertaining last with Cobolli chasing his personal history. No Italian participant has received the match since Martin Mulligan in 1968. (Mulligan competed for Australia by 1967 however switched to Italy from 1968 till his retirement in 1975.)
Advertisement
MORE: Emma Raducanu reveals surprising off-court ambition
Winner will get a BMW
The WTA gamers at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix are usually not the solely ones competing for a automobile. Either Shelton or Cobolli will win an all-electric BMW iX3.
Shelton leads the head-to-head 3-2, however Cobolli received their solely assembly on clay in 2024 at Geneva.
Watch the BMW Open last on Sunday, April 19 at 7:30 AM EDT on Tennis Channel.
