The beginning of Ben Shelton’s U.S. Open run was more like a false start.
Winning just one game in a shoddy first set of his first-round match, Shelton was forced to recover in a big way in order to get past Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 on Monday night under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The No. 8 seed is on to his fourth consecutive second round at the U.S. Open. He’ll face Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz next.
“Started off a little bit nervous tonight but found my rhythm at some point in the second set,” Shelton said in his on-court interview. “Really happy to be out here on Ashe again. This is where I feel comfortable.”
Despite a jittery start, Shelton bounced back in convincing fashion in the second set.
After committing 14 of his 31 total unforced errors in the opening set alone, the 23-year-old limited them to just two in the following set. Not only did he clean up his overall game, Shelton started hitting the ball much harder.
The momentum of the match swung in Shelton’s favor during a tight third set, which required a tiebreaker to decide the winner. Shelton jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the tiebreaker before blasting an ace that all but secured the set.
Shelton is considered the American favorite in the men’s singles draw as the highest-ranked player representing the Stars and Stripes.
With world No. 1 Jannik Sinner injured and Novak Djokovic bounced in the first round, Shelton and the rest of the Americans have a clearer path to the final than in years past. No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz also is competing in his first tournament since a 4 ¹/₂-month hiatus because of a wrist injury.
The pressure weighs heavier each year since — and it bears repeating — no American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.
Shelton has bowed out in the third round of the U.S. Open in each of the last two years.
