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Ben Shelton stuns Rublev in Paris as he matches a record not seen since Andy Roddick

Originally posted on HITC | By Max Kilham | Last updated Oct 31, 2025 9:29 AM ET

Ben Shelton has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters after a straight-sets win over Andrey Rublev.

The American, who is playing his second tournament since returning from an injury at the US Open, took down Rublev 7-6, 6-3 on Thursday.

He’ll next play Francisco Cerundolo or Jannik Sinner, who has a chance to reclaim the world number one ranking from Carlos Alcaraz this week. The win over Rublev also secures Shelton’s first appearance at the ATP Tour Finals.

Shelton, who beat Flavio Cobolli in the previous round, will be the only American in the last eight after Taylor Fritz lost to Alexander Bublik earlier in the day.

Ben Shelton matches Andy Roddick’s Paris Masters feat

Ben Shelton has become the youngest American to reach the quarter-finals of the Paris Masters since Andy Roddick in 2003, according to OptaAce.

Shelton, now 23 years and 18 days old, follows in the footsteps of Roddick, who was just over 21 when he made his run.

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Back then, as noted by OptaAce, the tournament was played on carpet courts, a surface that was used from 1986 until it switched to hard courts in 2007.

Roddick reached the semi-finals that year after wins over Victor Hanescu and Tommy Robredo, before losing to eventual champion Tim Henman.

Shelton already has one Masters title under his belt from his win at the Canadian Open earlier this year. He’ll be looking to add a second in Paris.

Ben Shelton delivers impressive serving display against Andrey Rublev

Shelton’s serve was a key factor in his win, highlighted by 15 aces and an impressive 79 per cent of points won on his first serve.

Even more striking, he claimed 87 per cent of points on his second serve, giving Rublev very few openings throughout the match.

Shelton didn’t face a single break point and didn’t record any double faults. If he can maintain this level of serving, he’ll be a tough opponent for anyone left in the draw.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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