The stakes are as high as the excitement level Thursday night at the Nexo Dallas Open.
Two of the most popular players on the ATP Tour, Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, both played in evening matches.
A fired-up crowd in Frisco is cheering on the two Americans as they take on tough competition inside the Ford Center.
Ben Shelton is super popular with young tennis fans with his YouTube show and engaging personality. He has also become one of the top 10 tennis players in the world.
The 23-year-old made another appearance Thursday night on center court, taking on 37-year-old Adrian Mannarino from France in the first of the night’s matches on the schedule.
Shelton advanced to the quarterfinals late Thursday night.
Earlier on Thursday, another 37-year-old, Marin Cilic, won his match to get into the quarterfinals. Cilic is the only player in the Nexo Dallas Open who has won a grand slam title, the 2014 U.S. Open. He’s having a late career resurgence and believes he has a chance to win this tournament.
“I still have that strong passion to see how far I can go, you know, every part of one’s career is interesting,” said Cilic. “I’ve had many of those great moments, and I’m still feeling that I can produce great tennis, and you never know what’s coming behind the corner. And who knows what this season might bring.”
In the last match of the night, Tommy Paul took on Miomir Kecmanovic with the packed stadium cheering for the 28-year-old from Florida, who is currently ranked 22nd in the world.