In a dramatic turn of events at the ATP 500 event in Washington on Friday night, Denis Shapovalov defaulted for the second time in his career, this time against Ben Shelton. The match was intense, with Shapovalov battling against Shelton and trailing 7-6, 6-6, 6-3, when he threw his racquet and swore at someone from the crowd. The chair umpire issued a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct, leading the supervisor to default the Canadian player.
The decision was met with disappointment from both Shapovalov and Shelton, who wanted to continue their duel on the court. Only a few weeks ago, the two rivals had a thrilling encounter at Wimbledon that went down to the wire. In Washington, Shelton managed to take the opening set in a tiebreak and even had three match points in the second set before Shapovalov’s default.
The match started off with Ben Shelton displaying strong holds, setting the tone for the intense battle that was about to unfold. Despite Shapovalov denying break chances early on, he faced difficulties at 3-4 in the first set. However, the Canadian managed to hold his serve and stay in the game.
As the set progressed, Shelton began to take the lead, denying break points and finally breaking Shapovalov in the 11th game. The set went into a tiebreak, with Shelton ultimately securing the set with a forehand winner.
In the second set, Shapovalov and Shelton continued to hold their serves, showcasing their resilience on the court. Rain interrupted the match briefly, but when they returned, Shapovalov made a push on the return game, creating a set point opportunity. However, Shelton fought back, saving the set point and taking the match into a tiebreak once again.
Shelton took an early lead in the tiebreak and despite Shapovalov’s attempts to catch up, the Canadian player made a crucial error that led to his outburst. Throwing his racquet and swearing at someone in the crowd, Shapovalov’s temper got the best of him, resulting in his default and Shelton advancing to the last four.
It was a disappointing end to what could have been an exciting match, but Shelton’s resilience and composure ultimately saw him through to the next round. As Shapovalov left the court in frustration, it was clear that emotions had run high in this intense tennis showdown in Washington.
