Tight battle

Shelton defeats Mannarino in Dallas

6-7(2) 7-6(4) 3-6

Shelton vs Mannarino — 2-1 across 3 meetings in this archive

Ben Shelton defeated A. Mannarino 7-6(2) 6-7(4) 6-3 in the first round of the Dallas ATP singles event on hard court. Shelton took the opening set in a tiebreak, dropping only two points, before Mannarino leveled by winning the second-set tiebreak 7-4. Shelton then closed out the match by taking the third set 6-3. The result moves Shelton into the quarterfinals at Dallas.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a 1/8 finals match at Dallas on hard courts is another data point in the argument Shelton's game keeps making: that first-strike tennis — the serve, the forehand behind it, the forward pressure — holds up week over week, not just on highlight reels.

  • 7-6(2) tiebreak in set 1, Shelton dominates
  • Second-set tiebreak loss levels match at 1-1
  • Closed 6-3 in decider to reach QF

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