[8] Ben Shelton played a scrappy match but got the victory in the end. I remind you, that the objective at the Australian Open is not only to win the match, but to be efficient, thereby conserving energy for a deeper run. Shelton eventually defeated Ugo Humbert 6-3, 7-6(2), 7-6(5). The American will need to revisit those squandered leads he had while serving for the set.
The Pressure Is On For Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton will need to match his performance from last year to maintain his position in the top ten. I was a bit surprised by his sloppy play against Humbert, but hopefully, it was just a case of working out the nerves. I believe he will settle in and compete better moving forward. Although I think he expends too much energy between points with all the fist pumping, if it isn’t broken, there’s no need to fix it. Next up for Shelton will be the Australian qualifier, Dane Sweeney.
Embed from Getty ImagesMadison Keys Amongst The Other American Winners
[9] Taylor Fritz had to fight for this victory. If Valentin Royer had not choked away the first set, it may have been a different outcome. Fritz won 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-1, 6-3. [9] Madison Keys struggled through the nerves in the first set. However, she settled down nicely in the second set to defeat Oleksandra Oliynykova 7-6(6), 6-1. This was a nice victory for Eliot Spizzirri. The much raved about [28] Joao Fonseca could not find his game against the American. Spizzirri won 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2. American qualifier Nishesh Basavareddy went over four hours to get to the second round of the Australian Open for the first time. This would be his first time into the second round of any of the majors. He defeated the wildcard, Christopher O’Connell, 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-3. Ashlyn Krueger got a nice win over Sara Bejlek, 6-3, 6-3. Ethan Quinn upset [28] Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 6-3, 6-2. I was rather surprised by this score, as Griekspoor can be a tough nut to crack. Kudos to the American!
Day Three Seeds That Were Upset
[18] Liudmila Samsonova found out the hard way that winning a set 6-0 is no guarantee that the match is yours. Laura Siegemund won 0-6, 7-5, 6-4. This was a tough loss for [22] Leylah Fernandez. Janice Tjen defeated the Canadian 6-2, 7-6(1). [30] Maya Joint lost 4-6, 4-6, to Tereza Valentova. That was a tough opponent for the Australian. Valentova is relentless and fights for every point.
Embed from Getty ImagesNotable American Losses
Alex Michelsen had chances against [15] Karen Kkachanov. This loss will surely sting. Khachanov won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. The moral of the story, “don’t take your foot off the pedal until you have secured the victory.” Sloane Stephens should retire. I cannot remember the last time she won a match. Why is she still playing tennis?
ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF GETTY IMAGES
