Shelton battles past Humbert to reach ATP 500 quarterfinals

Ben Shelton, the top-ranked American tennis player at No. 8 in the world, advanced to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament with a 6:7, 6:3, 6:4 win over France's Ugo Humbert. Humbert is currently ranked 29th and has reached a career-high of No. 13.

The opening set was a tight contest that went to a tiebreak. Shelton trailed 1-4 and lost it 3-7. The American then regrouped and took the next two sets to close out the match.

Shelton was better in points won behind his second serve, 57% to 45%, and won the total points battle 102 to 91. He converted five of six break chances, while Humbert converted five of eight. Shelton hit eight aces and four double faults; Humbert had seven aces and five double faults.

The 23-year-old is appearing at this tournament for the fourth time. His best results here are two semifinal appearances, in 2024 and 2025. Next up for Shelton is Chile's Alejandro Tabilo, ranked 30th.

Australia's Alex de Minaur, who is sixth in the rankings, also advanced past the round of 16. He will play American Brandon Nakashima in the next round. Shelton was the favorite with bookmakers, who offered odds of 1.44 for his win. Shelton now leads the head-to-head against Humbert 2-0.