US Open finalist Ben Shelton is out of the Shanghai Masters in the third round

Associated Press

Oct 11, 2026

United States' Ben Shelton wipes his face after a point against Czechia's Jakub Mensik during the Davis Cup second round qualifier match between the Czech Republic and the United States, in Prague, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns a ball to Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, during the men's singles quarterfinals match at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, right, and Alex De Minaur, of Australia pose for a photo together with their trophies after Djokovic, won the men's singles final at the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

SHANGHAI (AP) — U.S. Open finalist Ben Shelton is out of the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters, beaten 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3) by 21-year-old Frenchman Arthur Gea in the third round Sunday.

Shelton, who won his first match in Shanghai on his 24th birthday, faced three match points at 6-3 in the second-set tiebreaker and Gea converted on his first.

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In other early third-round matches Sunday, ninth-seeded Alex de Minaur beat Rei Sakamoto 7-6 (6), 6-4 and 26th-seeded Karen Khachanov defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-2, 6-4.

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Top-seeded and U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play a night match Sunday against Quentin Halys.

No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner withdrew from Shanghai this week when he announced he was taking the rest of 2026 off because of a right knee injury.

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