Rain-hit Stuttgart Open resumes as Shelton fights back, Bublik reaches semis, and Zverev opts for Halle

The Boss Open ATP 250 grass-court tournament in Stuttgart was hit by persistent rain, but when play finally got underway on Friday afternoon, top seed Ben Shelton dug deep to keep his title ambitions alive.

Weather delays stretch across two days

Shelton's round-of-16 match against fellow American Marcos Giron had already been stretched over two days. On Thursday evening, the contest was suspended due to darkness with the second set locked at 4-4 after earlier rain interruptions. When Friday arrived, more showers kept players and spectators waiting. Eventually, after a delay of approximately four and a half hours, the courts were dry enough for action to resume.

Shelton rallies from the brink

The world No.5 quickly levelled the match by taking the second set 6-4, but found himself in deep trouble in the decider when Giron raced to a 3-0 lead. Shelton, a semi-finalist here last year, methodically clawed his way back, saving his best for the tie-break, which he edged 7-5 to complete a 6-7(4), 6-4, 7-6(5) victory. The reward is a quarter-final clash later on Friday against Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro, with a semi-final berth on the line.

Bublik edges through to last four

While Shelton was fighting to stay in the draw, Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, ranked 11th in the world, had already secured his place in the semi-finals. Bublik outlasted Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(5), 7-6(3) in a contest dominated by nervy tie-breaks, preserving his chance to claim the Stuttgart title.

German contingent falls short

Home hopes faded early. Of five German players in the initial draw, only Jan-Lennard Struff and Yannick Hanfmann managed to win their opening matches, but both subsequently fell in the round of 16. French Open champion Alexander Zverev decided to bypass the Stuttgart tournament entirely. He will begin his Wimbledon preparations next week at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, Westphalia. Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the season, runs from 29 June to 12 July.

The Stuttgart Open carries a total prize fund of €768,220.