The loss cost Shelton an early spot in the ATP Finals. The world No. 4, who turned 24 on Friday, will be looking to win in Turin for the second consecutive year. He must now wait to join Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz in this year’s qualifiers.
For most of the match, nothing separated the two men. Serve each break three times in eight attempts: twice each in the first set, once in the second. Gea served first for 5-4.
Shelton hit more winners, 25 of 29, and seven aces to Gea’s four. He also committed 27 unforced errors, six more than the Frenchman. Gea won 75 percent of his first serve points to Shelton’s 63 percent, and he took 90 of the 169 points played. He was stronger at the end of the two sets, winning seven of the last 10 points of the match.
The rapid rise of Arthur Khea
The 21-year-old world number 56 continues his rapid rise. He started the season at No. 241 and has since won his first ATP Tour title in Los Cabos and reached the fourth round of the US Open as a lucky loser. He is now 12-2 at the Tour level since July. Before Sunday, his best wins came against Top 20 player Jiri Lehetsa at the Australian Open and Francisco Cerundolo in Los Cabos.
Gea beat France’s Hugo Humbert 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 and Portugal’s Jaime Faria 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-2. Shelton defeated Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-3, 7-6 (6) on his birthday. He falls to 7-7 at the Masters 1000 level this season.
Gea will face the winner of the match between 21st-ranked Francisco Cherundolo of Argentina and 13th-ranked Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.
Shanghai Masters 1000, 32nd round matches
A. Zverev (1) vs K. Halis – did not play
A. Bublik (19) vs B. Nakashima (16) – did not play
A. De Minaur (9) vs R. Sakamoto (Q): 7-6, 6-4
K. Khachanov (26) d. A. Mannarino: 6-2, 6-4
A. Gea d. B. Shelton (3): 7-6(5), 7-6(3)
F. Cerundolo (21) vs J. Mensik (13) – did not play
H. Hurkacz vs Y. Zhou – did not play
A. Davydovich Fokina (25) vs F. Tiafoe (7) – did not play
A. Fils (8) vs B. Van de Zandschulp – did not play
J. Lehecka (22) vs R. Jodar (12) – did not play
L. Tien (14) vs C. Ruud (20) – did not play
P. Carreno Busta vs F. Auger-Aliassime (4) – did not play
D. Medvedev (5) vs D. Svrcina (Q) – did not play
S. Tsitsipas vs T. Fritz (11) – did not play
T. Paul (15) vs V. Vacherot (17) – did not play
Z. Bergs vs C. Alcaraz (2) – did not play
