Ben Shelton faces down match point, advances at Cincinnati Open

 

[August 16, 2024]  Ben Shelton, the 12th seed, survived a match point and battled for nearly three hours to defeat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-7 (6), 7-6 (7), 6-3 on Thursday to reach the third round at the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.

The unseeded Etcheverry of Argentina had match point on his serve at 7-6 in the second-set tiebreaker, after Shelton missed on three straight set points from 6-3.

"This was a difficult match for me because I started so hot. So to lose that first set after the way that I was playing, multiple set points, up a break," Shelton said after the match, which lasted two hours and 52 minutes. "Then I had huge chances in the second that I ended up coming through on. Kind of just had to battle it out and stay there. I ended up squeaking out the second set and rolling in the third.

"These are the types of wins that really propel you. The ones where you are tested, back against the wall and you come through in the big moments. That's what's really important to me about this one."

Shelton recorded 45 winners and 13 aces to counter his seven double faults and 31 unforced errors.

Each player rose up to save break points, with Shelton saving 4 of 5 and Etcheverry 9 of 11.

Second-seeded Carlos Alcaraz's match against Frenchman Gael Monfils was suspended by rain in the second set, to be completed on Friday. The Spaniard leads 6-4, 6-6 (1-3).

The scheduled match between seventh-seeded Casper Ruud of Norway and Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada was postponed until Friday due to the weather.

Great Britain's Jack Draper rallied after dropping the first set to upset ninth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Germany's Alexander Zverev achieved a season milestone when the third seed defeated Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2 for his 50th tour-level victory in 2024.

Zverev, the 2021 Cincinnati Open champion, smashed 16 winners in the 78-minute match in improving to 5-2 head-to-head against Khachanov at this level.

"We are very similar players," Zverev said. "We are both very tall and good baseline players, and when we are both playing, it is about form and who is playing better, and today I am happy that it was me and I got a good win today."

Zverev has reached at least 50 tour-level wins in a season five times (2017, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2024).

Fifth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz of Poland rallied to beat Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-1 in the second round. Hurkacz recorded 17 aces and 44 winners. He next faces Flavio Cobolli, who was ahead 7-6 (4), 3-1 when his opponent, fellow Italian Luciano Darderi, retired due to illness.

Unseeded Fabian Marozsan of Hungary knocked off eighth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. Sixth-seeded Andrey Rublev of Russia had less of an issue against China's Zhizhen Zhang in a 6-4, 6-3 victory.

Denmark's Holger Rune, the 15th seed, won a 6-3, 7-6 (8) battle with qualifier Nuno Borges of Portugal. Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta eliminated Australian wild card Max Purcell 6-3, 6-3. American wild card Brandon Nakashima ousted France's Arthur Fils 7-5, 7-6 (3).

--Field Level Media

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