{"id":478159,"date":"2026-02-16T08:29:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:29:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/478159\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T08:29:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T08:29:09","slug":"ben-shelton-saves-3-championship-points-for-gripping-dallas-final-win-vs-taylor-fritz-atp-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/478159\/","title":{"rendered":"Ben Shelton saves 3 championship points for gripping Dallas final win vs. Taylor Fritz | ATP Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dallas
\n Shelton saves 3 championship points for gripping Dallas final win vs. Fritz<\/p>\n

23-year-old claims fourth ATP Tour title, first indoors<\/p>\n

February 15, 2026<\/p>\n

Sam Hodde\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Ben Shelton celebrates after beating Taylor Fritz on Sunday in Dallas for his first title of the season.
\n By Jerome Coombe<\/p>\n

Ben Shelton<\/a> brought the thunder when it mattered most on Sunday at the Nexo Dallas Open<\/a>, where he saved three championship points to defeat Taylor Fritz<\/a> and capture his first title of the season.<\/p>\n

The 23-year-old roared back to earn an explosive 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory for his second ATP 500 trophy, saving all three championship points in a nervy 10th game of the decider. After that pivotal hold, Shelton dropped just three more points en route to winning his fourth ATP Tour title, and first indoors.<\/p>\n

Big Ben strikes in Dallas \ud83e\udd20@BenShelton<\/a> claims the title on home soil after saving three match points to defeat compatriot Fritz 3-6, 6-3, 7-5! @NexoDallasOpen<\/a> | #DALOpen<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rVSowg1Zj7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels amazing. I thank God, because I needed something super natural to end up winning this tournament with all the holes that I was in,\u201d said Shelton, who came through four deciding-set battles in Dallas. \u201cI feel grateful to play five matches out here with these crowds. The energy was amazing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had to fight until the last minute. Fritz was playing very good tennis and I was struggling a lot with what he was throwing at me. I tried to be a competitor through and through, and I ended up coming out on top. I think it\u2019s a testament to the work me and my team put in.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a high-octane matchup between the top two seeds that ebbed and flowed right until the last ball, Shelton showed supreme composure under pressure. He let slip a break lead in the final set and then looked down and out, but showed some gutsy tennis at the dying embers to dish Fritz a painful defeat.<\/p>\n

With the one-hour, 51-minute victory, Shelton improved to 2-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Fritz. Since the beginning of 2025, Shelton is 11-4 in deciding-set matches, according to the Infosys ATP Win\/Loss Index, including nine wins from a set down.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce I get a set, I feel pretty confident,\u201d Shelton explained. \u201cOnce I\u2019m able to sink my teeth in and feel like I have some sort of rhythm, I just start to loosen up and find my level. I think I\u2019m also in shape \u2014 my fitness levels are good \u2014 and that probably plays into it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite falling short in the final, Fritz can reflect on another positive run to his 20th tour-level final. The American No. 1 now heads to the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach, where he is the top seed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a crazy match, a fun match to be a part of \u2014 until the end,\u201d Fritz said with a wry smile during the trophy presentation. \u201cCongrats to Ben and his team. He played great and in the end, he played the big points and important moments really well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n