By Richard Pagliaro Friday, March 6, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/Rolex
INDIAN WELLS — The stadium walls seemed to be closing in on the talented American seed today.
left handed Learners Tian and Ben Shelton Didn’t back down from the pressure.
Both seeds passed a tough tie-break test to set up a sensational third-round match at the BNP Paribas Open.
Tien transferred back to Australia Adam Walton 7-6(3), 7-6(8), winning his first career BNP Paribas Open victory and his 50th career tour-level victory.
The 20-year-old Southern California native is the youngest American man to reach the 50-win milestone since 19-year-old Andy Roddick in 2002.
“It means a lot. It’s a race that I really want to win and as an American, especially coming from California, it’s a very important race for me,” Tian said. “[It’s] I always want to do well in competitions. So, you know, obviously it’s still early in the game. Still, it means a lot to get my first win here. “
Staring at the vast number of service compatriots Riley OpelkaSheldon looked uncomfortable at times today. Sheldon hides his water bottle in the towel box and sometimes drinks to stay hydrated when he goes to towel off.
In the end, Shelton withstood 23 ACE balls from the bearded Opelka without facing a break point and won 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-3 with a single serve.
Shelton, the Dallas champion, is riding a six-game winning streak, including a victory over Taylor Fritz in the Dallas Open final, and improved to 9-0 on hard courts against his fellow American after losing to Frances Tiafoe in the third round of the 2024 U.S. Open.
“Today was a tough game,” Shelton said. “Obviously, Riley is a great player and he made things difficult. He played well in the first set and played well in the decider.
“I had to fight back. [It’s about] Take care of your serve, stay calm and hope your chances come, which did it for me in the second and third sets. I think my serve kept me in shape. “
Desire and discipline also help.
In the second set decider, Shelton faced her opponent when Opelka connected on a lob and then blocked a high volley to lead 4-3.
The world number eight scored four consecutive points. Opelka hit a forehand into the net with her back foot and lost a small break at 5-4. Shelton showed off his defense and scored with a low forehand, followed by a diagonal forehand winner to force the match into a decider after 96 minutes.
Shelton scored the only break of the day to take a 4-2 lead, then took the third match point to win in 2 hours and 12 minutes and set up a showdown with Tian.
Toronto champion Shelton will face Tian Tian on the hard court for the first time. Shelton’s rocket serve forms a classic contrast with Tian Tian’s sharp return.
In their only previous meeting last summer, Tian beat Shelton 6-4, 7-6(2) on Mallorca grass.
Both men showed grit today when they weren’t at their best, and resolving the rare southpaw-on-lefty matchup will be a big factor in their rematch.
Mr. Tian believes that severe tests like today are the best preparation for future battles.
“I think I’ve done pretty well in some games where I felt like I wasn’t at 100 percent or, you know, I would say, not playing my best,” Tian said. “I think I’ve done a good job of, you know, finding my way in these games and figuring things out when I’m not playing my best.
“I think it’s been really good for me because I can go into these games where I might be down, I might be losing, and I’m not having a great performance and just sort of figure things out and try to find a way to finish those games, which I think will be good for me in the long run.”
