Just days into the Swiss Indoors in Basel, the tournament is already embroiled in controversy. Surprisingly, it is due to the tournament’s most successful player, Roger Federer. The Swiss maestro is a 10-time champion here but has had an alleged fallout with the tournament authorities. So much so that his name is absent from any of the tournament’s promotions and is just there on the champions list at the entrance. While Federer continued to remain absent at his home tournament, his family members made a royal appearance.

Earlier today, Ben Shelton took on Stan Wawrinka in a much-anticipated second-round clash at the tournament. To witness this spectacle, Federer’s mother, Lynette, and his sister, Diana, made a royal appearance and were seen cheering for the two players. While many fans wanted to see their homegrown hero, Roger Federer, the Swiss maestro didn’t make it to the tournament. Nonetheless, his family members seemed to have a good time as Shelton produced a power-packed performance to knock out the local star, Wawrinka, in straight sets.

Earlier, there were reports of Federer being at loggerheads with the tournament authorities due to multiple events. While it all started in 2012 when Federer wanted a huge fee to play at the tournament, it didn’t go down well with the tournament’s boss, Roger Brennwald. 10 years later, Federer refused to end his career at the Swiss Indoors and rejected the offer twice. As a result, he wasn’t on good terms with the tournament’s authorities, and the ill effects of it are being witnessed now.

Amid this controversy, Ben Shelton impressed the crowd at the tournament as he knocked out Wawrinka, who was in good form. After his win, Shelton made a big admission on what made the difference today.

Ben Shelton came out clutch in tricky situations

Stan Wawrinka entered the tournament in Basel in good form and on the back of a semifinal finish at the Stockholm Open. Further, he also broke Roger Federer’s record and became the oldest man to win a match in Basel. As a result, it was always going to be an uphill task for Shelton against an experienced Wawrinka. Nonetheless, the American sensation kept his cool and won precious moments in the match to defeat Wawrinka.

During the post-match interview, Shelton said, “I thought I was just tough in the big moments. There were a lot of challenges out there today, but I thought he played a really good match. The crowd was really into it, obviously, behind their guy. I was struggling to return his serve, and I thought he put the ball in some tricky positions. I was happy with the way I defended my break points, and being clutch in the big moments is what won me the match today.”

With this win, Shelton is into the quarterfinal of the Swiss Indoors. He will next face the top seed, Andrey Rublev, in what promises to be another exciting contest. Can the American sensation continue his impressive run and win the title in Basel? Let us know your views in the comments below.