Tight battle

Shelton defeats Damm in Washington

4-6 6-4 4-6

Ben Shelton defeated Martin Damm 6-4 4-6 6-4 in the first round of the Washington ATP singles event on hard court. Shelton took the opener before Damm leveled the match by claiming the second set, then Shelton closed it out with a 6-4 third. The win moves Shelton to 2-0 in career meetings against Damm, having also won their only prior recorded encounter.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a match at Washington 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.

  • Won opener, dropped set 2, closed 6-4
  • Career 2-0 vs. Damm
  • Hard-court first-round victory

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