Japan Open: Ben Shelton claims maiden ATP Tour title with victory in Japan
Written by I Dig Sports
American Ben Shelton won his first ATP Tour title by defeating Aslan Karatsev in the Japan Open final.
Shelton struck 18 winners on the way to beating the Russian 7-5 6-1 in 84 minutes in Tokyo.
The 21-year-old's victory will move him up to a career-high of 15th in the men's rankings on Monday.
"That meant a lot to me and my team. We have been working really hard since the beginning to build my game and win titles on the ATP Tour," said Shelton.
"I made some deep runs lately. You see the great champions, they finish weeks off. They win titles, they don't just get to finals. They are able to maintain their level throughout the week.
"I am not saying I am anywhere there yet, but to be able to do it for one week, put together five matches in a row in Tokyo is really special."
Meanwhile, Great Britain's Jamie Murray and New Zealand's Michael Venus were beaten 6-4 6-1 by Australian duo Rinky Hijikata and Max Purcell in the doubles final at the same tournament.
In the Nordic Open doubles final, Great Britain's Julian Cash and Yuki Bhambri, of India, suffered a 7-6 (10-8) 6-2 defeat against Kazakhstan's Andrey Golubev and Ukraine's Denys Molchanov.
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