Shelton Dominates BMW Open Final with Straight Sets Victory

Ben Shelton secured his fifth Tour title with a convincing 6-2 7-5 win over Flavio Cobolli, admitting that clay is gradually becoming one of his preferred surfaces. Shelton's victory marked his second clay title and made him the first American in series history to win three ATP 500 titles. After being knocked out in the round of 16 at Roland Garros last year by Carlos Alcaraz, Shelton expressed his ambitions on clay, stating that he aims to improve on this surface each year. He said, 'I started at a high level and maintained it against Cobolli, who raised his game in the second set. I'm pleased with my performance this week and the work my team and I put in.' Shelton broke Cobolli's serve in the first game and withstood six break points in his first service game, setting the tone for the match. The 23-year-old Italian Cobolli was unable to replicate his impressive performance from the previous day, when he defeated Alexander Zverev to reach his second Tour final this year. 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, having won his first clay title in Houston in 2024. In another match, Arthur Fils overcame Andrey Rublev 6-2 7-6 (2) to win his first title since 2024 at the Barcelona Open on Sunday, securing his fourth ATP title.