Ben Shelton recovered from a one-sided opening set to beat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 at the US Open. After a poor start on serve, Shelton’s return game clicked into gear and he repeatedly broke Griekspoor in the second and fourth sets.
Griekspoor dominated the opener, breaking three times to race clear. Shelton levelled by breaking in games two, four and six of the second set, then edged a chaotic third set in a tiebreak after a string of breaks. In the fourth, he broke in the first and third games to close out the match.
The first-set numbers exposed Shelton’s early struggles: he saved only two of five break points and was outpointed 16-27. His response was emphatic, with breaks in every remaining set and a decisive tiebreak that turned the match.