Shelton Digs Deep to Claim Dallas Survival

In the tight confines of the Dallas arena on February 13, 2026, Ben Shelton stared down a familiar foe in Adrian Mannarino, turning a potential early stumble into a hard-fought advancement. The No. 9 player in the PIF ATP Rankings edged out the French lefty 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-3 after two hours and forty minutes of relentless exchanges. Shelton’s booming serve and sharpening returns finally tipped the scales against a veteran who absorbed punishment with flat precision, improving their head-to-head to 2-3.

Mannarino, fresh off a Montpellier final, disrupted the American’s rhythm early with low slices that skidded on the indoor surface, forcing adjustments to his usual one–two patterns. A 29-shot rally opened the first-set tiebreak, each stroke testing lungs and focus as the crowd leaned in. Shelton sealed it with aces, but the Frenchman clawed back in the second, converting his sixth set point after a no-look between-the-legs winner that stunned the baseline.

Fired up @BenShelton digs deep to get past Mannarino 7-6(2), 6-7(4), 6-3.@NexoDallasOpen | #DALOpen pic.twitter.com/12YqCVFnBJ

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 13, 2026

Momentum twists in tight exchanges

The match swung like a poorly timed volley, with Mannarino erasing four set points on return at 6-5 in the second before finally breaking through. His flat backhands redirected Shelton’s heavy topspin, dropping the American’s return efficiency to 32 percent in the first set and 31 percent in the second. Yet Shelton held firm on serve, his inside-out forehands keeping the decider alive amid the arena’s rising hum.

Crowd energy pulsed with every shift, Dallas fans chanting as the 23-year-old reset after errors, drawing on memories of their injury-shadowed US Open clash. The low-bounce conditions amplified Mannarino’s underspin, pulling Shelton into longer points that frayed his footwork. But those dips forged a tactical edge, his net rushes met with crosscourt passes that tested resolve without breaking it.

Decider surges with return fire

Shelton flipped the script in the third, winning 52 percent of return points by stepping inside the baseline to take the ball early on the quick hard. A down-the-line backhand break ignited his roar, locking in momentum as his serve skidded off the surface for key holds. This wasn’t mere survival; it was a psychological unlock, easing the weight of top-10 expectations in the early 2026 grind.

Up next for the second seed looms a quarterfinal against fifth seed Tommy Paul or Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic, both capable of exploiting any lingering fatigue on these skiddy courts. The win threads into a broader American push, where indoor poise separates risers from the pack. As rankings pressure mounts, Shelton’s adaptations hint at deeper runs ahead.

Draw fills with veteran grit

Earlier, defending champion and seventh seed Denis Shapovalov breezed past Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-4 in 66 minutes, facing no break points in a clinic of baseline control. The Canadian now meets third seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, where steady returns could counter Spanish fire. Shapovalov’s efficiency offers a model for navigating the surface’s demands.

Marin Cilic, marking his 600th career tour-level win the day before, methodically took down Ethan Quinn 7-6(4), 6-3, entering his 123rd quarterfinal—second only to Novak Djokovic‘s 226 among active players. The Croat’s heavy serve thrived indoors, setting up a clash with British qualifier Jack Pinnington Jones. The newcomer, who turned pro last year after Texas Christian University, outlasted Eliot Spizzirri 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-6(4) in a two-hour, 52-minute battle, claiming his first tour-level quarterfinal with tiebreak tenacity.

As the Nexo Dallas Open quarterfinals take shape, Shelton’s grit amid lefty duels and surface tweaks underscores the event’s blend of power and precision. Veterans like Cilic anchor the field, while young challengers push boundaries, promising more indoor intrigue under the arena’s steady buzz. This draw’s surprises could redefine early-season narratives, with every hold building toward title contention.