Ben Shelton beat Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 to reach his third Masters 1000 quarter final after reaching this stage in Shanghai in 2023 losing to Sebastian Korda and in Cincinnati in 2024 losing to Alexander Zverev.
Shelton has become the US quarter finalist at Indian Wells since 2004, when Andy Roddick lost to Tim Henman in the last eight of the tournament in the Californian desert.
Shelton broke in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. Nakashima broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3.
Shelton had won all three previous head-to-head matches against Nakashima in Houston and Washington in 2024 and at the Australian Open in 2025. Every set was either 7-5 or 7-6.
The trend continued in Indian Wells, where Shelton was two points away from losing the tie-break of the first set at 6-6. Nakashima missed a backhand volley and hit a forehand into the net to give Shelton the lead. Shelton won the 63-minute first set in a tie-break 8-6.
Shelton received a medical time-out at the end of the first set to tape a blister on his left hand before breaking twice in the second and fourth games to race out to a 5-0 lead and served the match out at love in the sixth game.
Shelton has reached semifinals at the US Open in 2023 and at the Australian Open in 2025. He is now a win away from his first Masters 1000 semifinal on his surface.
“For me the second set was outstanding. Whenever you can get a two break win in a set against a server like him is really encouraging for where my level is at. I am pleased with my performance today. I think there are things I am trying to add into my game each week and I am trying to implement them this week. Sometimes things don’t work all the time. I make execution errors. I feel my intent has been really good this week and that has been a huge part of my success. Masters are a big goal for me this year because there are so many throughout the year and such high stakes. I am pleased to be in another quarter final, but I am defitenly searching for more, said Shelton.
