Ben Shelton kicked off his Paris Masters run in emphatic fashion, sweeping aside Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in straight sets. After his second-round triumph, the American lauded the slower conditions in Paris, saying they perfectly complement his tactics, allowing him to execute his game plan confidently.
Ben Shelton Gets Honest on the Paris Masters Courts Following Second-Round Win
The second-round win at the 2025 Paris Masters came as a timely boost for Ben Shelton. The American, sidelined with a shoulder injury during the US Open, returned at the Shanghai Masters but fell to David Goffin in the second round. His struggles continued in Basel, where, despite being the second seed, he again bowed out in the second round.
In fact, the second-round match in Paris carried its own challenge, with Cobolli having beaten Shelton twice before, though the American also held two straight wins in their recent meetings. After a tight opening set that Shelton edged 7-6(4), momentum shifted firmly his way. He controlled the second set 6-3, sealing a confident victory to advance at the last Masters 1000 event of the season.
However, as Shelton noted afterward, the slower Parisian surface proved a significant asset for his game. Speaking to Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj, he said the conditions helped him dominate on serve, collect free points, and push his opponent into longer rallies that demanded high-risk shots.
“I am enjoying it. I think it’s tough for guys to speed me up. I was really effective on my serve tonight, getting a lot of free points. And I was able to make it a little bit difficult on the other guys serve. Push them deep in rallies, make them feel that they had to do something special to win the point. And that’s always what I hope to do out on the court. So, I think that, this is really good court for me and I’m excited with the way I started my week,” he said.
Shelton asserted control in nearly every department against Cobolli. He blasted 37 winners to the Italian’s 29 and dominated behind his first serve, winning 86% of those points compared to Cobolli’s 81%. He also proved more clinical on return, converting 33% of his break opportunities during the 1 hour and 32-minute contest.
Ben Shelton To Face Andrey Rublev in the Paris Masters Third Round
As Shelton advances, the road only grows tougher. The World No. 6 now faces Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the third round, which perhaps could be a compelling showdown between two players determined to make a strong statement in Paris.
Rublev, the 12th seed in Paris, has looked sharp. He opened with a commanding 6-1, 6-4 win over Britain’s Jacob Fearnley, showing no signs of trouble. The Russian maintained that form in the second round, easing past American Learner Tien 6-4, 6-4 to book his spot in the last 16.
One factor that could boost Shelton’s confidence is his 1-0 head-to-head advantage over Rublev. Their only meeting came in the 2024 Swiss Indoors Basel quarterfinals, where the American edged a tight three-setter 7-5, 6-7(7), 6-4.
