Turned it

Shelton recovers to beat Griekspoor at the US Open

1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 6-2

Ben Shelton defeated Tallon Griekspoor 1-6 6-1 7-6(3) 6-2 in the first round of the US Open on hard court. Griekspoor dominated the opening set but Shelton reversed course immediately in the second, and after a tiebreak in the third that Shelton claimed 7-3, the American pulled away in the fourth to close out the match. Shelton struck 12 aces and won 86% of first-serve points, backing up an average first-serve speed of 195 km/h across the afternoon.

Match context

Why this one matters

A win in a 1/64 finals match at US Open 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.

  • Lost 1-6, won next 3 sets
  • Won tiebreak 7-6(3) in set 3
  • 12 aces, 86% first-serve points won

US Open — every round

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