Shelton Dominates BMW Open Final with Straight Sets Victory

Ben Shelton secured his fifth Tour title by defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-5, acknowledging that clay is gradually becoming a preferred surface for him. Shelton's win marked his second clay title and made him the first American to claim three ATP 500 titles. He expressed his ambitions for clay courts, particularly with Roland Garros approaching, after being knocked out in the round of 16 last year by Carlos Alcaraz. Shelton stated, 'I started at a high level and have done that before against him. The challenge is maintaining it as he raises his level.' He added, 'I was able to do that in the second set, hung in there when he played great tennis, and came through to win in straight sets.' Shelton's performance improved throughout the week, and he credited the work of his team. He noted, 'I have big ambitions for clay courts, a surface I want to improve on each year, and it's slowly becoming one of my favorites.' The match's tone was set early, with Shelton breaking Cobolli's serve in the first game. Shelton's win also made him the first American since Andre Agassi in 2002 to win a title on clay above the ATP 250 level. Meanwhile, Arthur Fils defeated Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6 (2) to win his first title since 2024 at the Barcelona Open. Fils, who returned to action in February after nearly eight months out due to injury, secured his fourth ATP title with the victory.