PARIS : Carlos Alcaraz avenged his U.S. Open quarter-final defeat by Ben Shelton, beating the American 7-6(5) 7-5 on Sunday to win the Paris Masters and claim his ninth ATP Masters 1000 title.
The world number three dominated from the baseline to become the first Spaniard since David Ferrer in 2012 to lift the trophy, capitalising on Shelton’s unforced errors, particularly with his forehand.
“Today, it was one of the toughest challenges we have in tennis right now, facing Ben Shelton,” Alcaraz said, referring to his four-and-a-half-hour defeat by the American in the U.S. Open quarter-finals in September.
Shelton struggled to find consistency throughout the contest, and his errors proved costly in the decisive moments.
With Alcaraz leading 6-5 in the second set, Shelton faltered while serving to stay in the match, sending two forehands long before the seven-time Grand Slam champion sealed victory with a superb backhand down the line.
“It’s something I’ve been chasing for a long time,” Alcaraz said, after finally winning the Paris title at the sixth attempt.
The Australian Open champion has now won three titles since his disappointment at Flushing Meadows and will look to carry that momentum into the ATP Finals, which begin next Sunday, before turning his attention to the Davis Cup Finals later this month.
