Shelton vence a Etcheverry salvando match point | ATP Tour

Cincinnati

Shelton vence a Etcheverry salvando match point

On the same day in Cincinnati, Jack Draper surprised Tsitsipas

August 15, 2024

Ben Shelton has come very close to breaking his personal record in the PIF ATP Rankings after beating Argentine Tomás Etcheverry at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.

By winning 6-7(6), 7-6(7), 6-3, the American is sure to climb to No. 13 in the live rankings and have a good chance of appearing, in the worst-case scenario, at that spot in the next update of the PIF ATP Rankings. He would surpass the No. 14 he reached earlier this month.

Two more wins would also elevate him to No. 12 and make him the top American in the PIF ATP Rankings, displacing his compatriot Taylor Fritz, who was eliminated earlier this week in Cincinnati, from that position. The confidence from Thursday’s win could help him achieve that.

Perhaps not because of his consistency but because of his resilience despite the ups and downs. Shelton was 4-1 up in the first set, in which he also had two return points at 5-4 and 6-5. He also led 5/3 in the tie-break, but he was unable to close it out, nor did he take advantage of the five break points before the tie-break of the second set.

To top it off, he went from 6/3 in the second playoff to 6/7 with match point against him. Shelton never gave up and ended up forcing a third in which he was neater than the No. 37 in the rankings.

“It was a tough match for me because I started off so well. To lose the first set after the way I was playing, and then to have multiple set points and be up a break, it was tough,” Shelton said. “I had to fight and hold on. I ended up winning the second set and sweeping the third.”

“These are the kind of wins that really push you. The ones that test you, the ones that put you against the wall and then you overcome the big moments. That’s what’s really important to me in this match.”

Shelton will face Hungarian Fabian Marozsan in the round of 16, who defeated the tournament’s eighth seed, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, by scores of 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

In other results, Jack Draper stunned ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to also reach the round of 16. The world No. 28 will next face either Casper Ruud or Felix Auger-Aliassime.

“Since I came back from the Olympics I haven’t been playing my best tennis… but I’ve been trying to find a way and today I showed my courage and determination to get through it,” Draper said. “Every day I play and have the opportunity to go out and play again, the better I feel. I feel great physically and I hope to continue like this.”