Ben Shelton secured a place in the Stuttgart Open final on 13 June 2026 after defeating Czech Republic’s Jiri Lehecka in a dramatic three-set semifinal. Shelton prevailed 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) on Centre Court, winning a contest in which all three sets were decided by tiebreaks.
The top-seeded American was pushed to the limit by Lehecka in one of the most competitive matches of the tournament. Neither player was able to establish a decisive advantage during the opening set, which eventually went to a tiebreak. Lehecka held his nerve in the breaker, winning it 7-4 to move one set away from the final.
Shelton responded in the second set, matching Lehecka shot for shot in another closely contested battle. Once again, a tiebreak was required, but this time Shelton came through 7-4 to level the match and force a deciding set.
The third set followed a similar pattern, with both players holding serve and refusing to yield an advantage. A third consecutive tiebreak was needed to determine the outcome, and Shelton edged the decisive breaker 8-6 to complete a hard-fought victory and advance to the championship match.
The result highlighted Shelton’s composure under pressure, as he won the final two tiebreaks after dropping the opening one. Lehecka produced a strong performance throughout the semifinal but narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
• Ben Shelton defeated Jiri Lehecka in three sets
• Final score: 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(6)
• Tournament: Stuttgart Open – Men’s Singles Semifinal
• Venue: Centre Court
• Date: 13 June 2026
• All three sets were decided by tiebreaks
The turning point came in the second-set tiebreak when Shelton prevented Lehecka from closing out the match in straight sets. The American carried that momentum into the deciding-set tiebreak and completed the comeback victory.
Final Score: Ben Shelton def. Jiri Lehecka 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(6)
Tournament: Stuttgart Open – Men’s Singles Semifinal
Date: 13 June 2026
Venue: Centre Court, Stuttgart
Winner: Ben Shelton (United States)
Result: Shelton advanced to the final
Ben Shelton defeated Jiri Lehecka in three tiebreak sets to reach the Stuttgart Open final, prevailing 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-6(6) in a marathon semifinal.