Jannik Sinner fought to control Ben Shelton in the opening set but found his game in a hurry to thrash through for a 7-6 (4), 6-1 defeat of the highly hyped American on Tuesday at the ATP-WTA Masters on Tuesday.
Sinner won his 18th straight match – the 15th of 2024 – and moved into the quarter-finals where he faces Czech Jiri Lehecka,
Shelton, son of a former player, was weighed down by his nerves and five double-faults in the contest.
“I played really well in the tight moments,” Sinner said. “I knew I would not get much rhythm from him.
“I can be proud of how I played. The wind didn’t make it easier but I tried to stay positive and it worked out.”
Sinner won the opening set on a smash after 68 minutes and ran away with the second, breaking twice.
