Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul give U.S. 3 men in Australian Open quarters

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The next stop on Ben Shelton's first trip outside the United States will be a spot in the Australian Open quarterfinals.

The 20-year-old NCAA champion from the University of Florida extended his stay in his debut at Melbourne Park by pulling out a 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory over J.J. Wolf in an all-American matchup in John Cain Arena on Monday.

Shelton is playing in only his second Grand Slam tournament -- and using his passport for the first time -- and he credited himself with being "energetic" and "courageous" across the more than 3 1/2 hours he and Wolf traded big cuts and momentum shifts on a day where the temperature rose above 80 degrees Fahrenheit (25 degrees Celsius).

Now the 89th-ranked Shelton meets yet another unseeded American, 35th-ranked Tommy Paul, who eliminated No. 24 seed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Monday.

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