Shelton saves 3 championship points, beats Fritz for fourth title in Dallas – Tennis Now

By Richard Pagliaro Sunday, February 15, 2026
Photo credit: Nexo Dallas Open Facebook

Back to the wall, Ben Shelton Three championship points were avoided with a bold forward move.

Shelton saved three championship points with a 4-5 serve in the deciding set, and finally defeated his opponent 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Top seed Taylor Fritz In today’s exciting finals of the National Nexo Dallas Open.

“First and foremost I want to thank God,” Shelton said. “Having an experience like this is unique. I’m grateful to everyone for coming forward.

“I want to congratulate Taylor. It was a crazy game. I think the level you played at is amazing. Everything you’ve done this year through adversity, battling injuries, you’re a competitor, you’re an inspiration to every kid at home watching you play day in and day out, I want to congratulate you.”

It was Shelton’s third consecutive comeback, as he battled back from a set down to defeat the Delray Beach champion. Miomir Kechmanovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, dethroning the defending champion Denis Shapovalov In last night’s semi-final, he lost serve to start today’s match at 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) and then overtook Fritz in one of the best comebacks of his young career.

This is the fourth title of Shelton’s career, a feat he achieved on the strength of his excellent serve, quick touch and fearless approach to the net.

In the deciding set, trailing 5-5 and with three match points, Shelton hit a clean backhand winner behind Fritz to deny himself a championship point and leveled the match with two smashes. Shelton hit a backhand volley under severe pressure to create the volley winner and stood up under severe pressure at 5-1.

Fritz was smarting from the near miss, faulting two backhands before committing his only double fault of the day and facing three break points. At the second break point, Fritz hit a long serve, and Shelton shouted “Come on!” to break serve and chase the score to 6-5.

Although Shelton held a 40-point lead over Love on serve, Fritz himself retained two championship points.

On the third championship point, a patient Shelton measured the forehand, slightly reduced the intensity of the shot, and ended a tight battle in 1 hour and 51 minutes.

“I had to get myself over the finish line today,” Shelton told Tennis Channel’s Sam Querrey in a post-match interview. “Don’t think about the moment and just try to perform at the highest level. I knew today I was going to need my toughest tennis to win…

“I’m going to give it my all and play without hesitation no matter what happens. It’s going to be a tough race for sure. I don’t think the title race is going to be easy. Choosing the path with the most resistance can sometimes prepare you for moments in the race.”

Both top seeds carry authority. Fritz hit 14 aces on a double fault and scored 88% of his points on first serve. Shelton fired 16 aces, made no double faults and saved five of seven break points.

Even though Fritz was one of the cleanest hitters in the game, possessing a stronger serve and a bigger backhand than Shelton, ultimately Shelton’s comfort at the net, his all-court acumen and his courage at the net to take over those championship points proved to be the key.

“I just want to congratulate Ben, it was a crazy game,” Fritz said. “It was a fun game to be involved in until the end but congratulations to Ben and his team.

“You played great and ended up with big points, big moments, good, so congratulations on the win.”

The final between the two top American players was the first time the two top-seeded teams had met in the finals since top-seeded Kevin Anderson defeated second-seeded Sam Querrey in the 2018 title match. For the first time since the tournament was held in San Jose in 2002, two top-10 players competed in the final, with young world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt defeating No. 5 Andre Agassi.

Fritz got off to an ideal start, winning 12 of the first 13 points and breaking serve twice around the 15th minute to take a 3-0 lead.

Fritz’s first serve was top-notch in the opener. Fritz won three of Love’s first four service games, hitting 72 percent of his serves and scoring 18 of 18 first-serve points in the first set.

After 21 minutes, Fritz hit Shelton’s weaker backhand flank with a forehand crosscourt, helping him lead 5-3.

The only real pressure on the top seed came when he was serving. Shelton pressured Fritz to tie the game, but as he dropped back, he hit a bad lob and faced a second set point. After 25 minutes, Fritz made a forehand error and took the first set.

Boosting his energy level and shouting to himself, “Come on!” Shelton saved two break points in the second set.

The left-hander missed the serve and saved a break point, chasing the score to 2-1.

Fritz, a 2024 U.S. Open finalist, held two more hold points in the set and earned another break point in the seventh game.

Shelton changed his serving pattern and hit an ace on the T stage to erase it, eventually chasing the score to 4-3.

Those missed chances kept bothering Fritz, who hit a forehand long and then watched Shelton burn him with a running forehand pass for three break points. Fritz was caught off guard and hit the net with a low backhand. Shelton broke serve first and the score was 5-3.

Shelton opened the second set with his 14th ace, used a clever lob combination, and then used a body serve to seal the second set and force a decider after an hour of play.

Three games into the third set, Shelton targeted Fritz’s forehand and it paid off.

The 14-shot baseline battle ended with Fritz’s forehand almost hitting the break point. Shelton showed a high tolerance for hitting the ball, ending a 12-shot standoff with a back-to-back forehand to break serve at 2-1 and slamming his palm into his chest.

Shelton completed a challenging hold on the 30th, extending the lead to 3-1.

Although speed is not Fritz’s strong point, he showed excellent explosiveness and a lob in Shelton’s serve, helping him achieve a 30-point victory.

The No. 2 seed hit a tame backhand slice and then a forehand deflection that Fritz broke back to tie the game at 3.

Fritz, ranked seventh in the world, led by one point at 15-40 on Shelton’s serve in the 10th game to defend the title.

Shelton hit the ball to erase the first championship point, then to Fritz’s surprise, he hit a backhand behind the top seed to deny the second championship point.

On the third championship point, Shelton smashed again. Shelton had match point when Fritz missed a backhand. Showing soft hands, Shelton fired a volley to create a volley winner and win the hard-fought game, tying it at 5.

“Losing championship points, especially on my serve, I knew the guys were going to be a little nervous, a little hesitant,” Shelton said. “That’s when I have to be ready to blitz and attack and put myself in a position to win those points…

“I stuck to the style of play I know and am happy with the results.”

Shelton defeated a higher-ranked American for the second time in three matches to deny Fritz his 11th title.