Ben Shelton sees off Aslan Karatsev in Tokyo to capture first career ATP title

American rising star Ben Shelton secured his first ATP Tour title at the Japan Open, defeating Russian Aslan Karatsev 7-5, 6-1 in the final.

Shelton turned professional just over a year ago, but he showcased his talent by reaching the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January and the semi-finals of the US Open last month.

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The 21-year-old fought through a series of challenging three-set matches to make it to the Tokyo final but made easy work of Karatsev, who is ranked 50th in the world. The match lasted just over 1 hour and 20 minutes.

“Winning this title means a lot to me and my team,” said Shelton. “Since the beginning, we’ve worked hard to develop my game and win titles on the ATP Tour. Recently, I’ve had some deep runs. The great champions finish strong, winning titles instead of just reaching finals. They maintain a high level throughout the week.

“I’m not saying I’m at that level yet, but being able to do it for one week and put together five matches in a row in Tokyo is truly special.”

Shelton secured the first set by breaking Karatsev for a 6-5 lead and holding his serve in the following game.

In the second set, Karatsev struggled to regain his composure and vented his frustration by smashing his racquet as unforced errors began to plague him.

Karatsev hit a shot long on match point, handing the victory to Shelton.

Shelton celebrated by running to his team and embracing his father, Bryan, who is also his coach.

Karatsev had previously won all his matches in straight sets, including victories over fourth seed Alex de Minaur and sixth seed Frances Tiafoe.

Shelton had also defeated Karatsev at the US Open.

Starting the season ranked 96th in the world, Shelton’s unexpected success at the Australian Open and US Open has propelled him to a career-high No 15 in the upcoming rankings.