Ben Shelton Just Won His Second Title in Months and Now Clay Courts Are His Playground

Ben Shelton is on an absolute tear right now, and his latest victory proves he's figured something out on clay that most Americans haven't cracked in nearly two decades. The guy rolled into Munich and demolished Italy's Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5 to capture the BMW Open, his second title of the year and fifth of his career. This isn't some fluke performance either. Shelton won 85% of his first-serve points on the clay surface and saved all six break points he faced to close out the match clean.

Shelton's Game Plan Was Ruthless From the Jump

The American came out swinging and never let Cobolli catch his breath. Shelton broke his opponent's serve twice in the first three games alone, setting the tone early. In the second set, Cobolli fought back and had Shelton tied up at 5-5, but Shelton found another gear exactly when it mattered most. He broke Cobolli again, held serve on his first match point, and that was all she wrote. The victory also has Shelton sitting in some exclusive company: he became the first American man since 2009 to win three ATP 500 titles. That's the kind of milestone that tells you everything about the level he's operating at right now.

Clay Is Becoming His Favorite Surface

Here's what makes this run even more interesting. After the match, Shelton didn't hide his ambitions. "I have big ambitions for the clay courts," he said. "It is a surface I want to get better on each year. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces to play on." That's a statement of intent from a guy who just proved he can back it up. With his Dallas title earlier this year and now Munich on his resume, Shelton is building serious momentum heading into what could be a monster clay court season.

Arthur Fils Survives Scare in Barcelona

Over in Barcelona, France's Arthur Fils had to dig deep to survive a late-match meltdown. He defeated Russia's Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (2) to claim his first title since returning in February after missing eight months due to a back injury. Fils had control early, cruising through the first set and building a 5-2 lead in the second before Rublev woke up. Rublev broke serve to pull within 5-4, staved off match point to tie it at 5-5, and even took 6-5. But Fils locked in when it counted and sealed it in a tiebreak. "The end of the second set was just about the mental pressure," Fils said afterward. "The whole match was a bit tough because I was a bit tight."

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