Ben Shelton beat Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, reaching the third round of the US Open as the highest-seeded American man in the draw, advancing past a quality opponent in four sets after also needing four sets in the first round.
Shelton said being pushed early in a tournament is valuable, describing it as being battle-tested. He acknowledged he could have won the match more efficiently but credited Hurkacz for the level he brought. He said the pressure forced him to clean up things he had wanted to address, and that those improvements came out naturally as the match progressed. He said a match like that benefits him moving forward.
Shelton has now reached the third round in eight consecutive hard-court Grand Slams. The last time Shelton went deeper at the US Open was his 2023 semifinal run.
Americans advance in numbers
Frances Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, joined Shelton in the third round by beating Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5 in the night session at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Tiafoe has now reached the third round or better at seven consecutive US Opens, the longest active streak among men in the tournament.
No. 20 Tommy Paul, another American, also advanced by getting past Dino Prizmic in four sets.
The American contingent of Shelton, Tiafoe and Paul in the third round together represents the strongest American men’s showing at this stage of a US Open in recent years.
Weather disrupts the draw
Another rainy afternoon in New York forced play to be suspended on outside courts and limited action to Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium. The disruption left a number of players having completed only one match through the first four days of the tournament.
When the US Open moved to a Sunday start last year, the format spread the first round across three days. Had the weather cooperated, everyone would have been in the second round by Wednesday. Instead, 25 men’s singles matches were scheduled Wednesday to push the draw back on track.
The first round was completed late Wednesday. Alex de Minaur, the No. 6 seed from Australia, had his match moved twice before finally playing on Court 11, where he beat Andrea Guerrieri 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. He said it had been a couple of tough days but that these tournaments are all about adapting and that there is too much to play for to let weather disruptions affect you.
No. 12 Rafael Jodar, a 19-year-old Spaniard coming off a strong summer, was routed 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 by Yunchaokete Bu of China in a first-round match delayed from Tuesday. American Alex Michelsen upset No. 16 Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, eliminating the American who had advanced in dominant fashion in the first round.
Other results
Mariano Navone, who upset Novak Djokovic in the first round, backed it up by beating Matteo Berrettini 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to reach the third round. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev beat Sebastian Gorzny 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, pausing to protest a chair umpire’s decision to replay a point after two birds landed on the net. Shelton had no such distractions in his match. Medvedev said it would rank in his top five unusual episodes at Flushing Meadows, adding that it happens.
Stefanos Tsitsipas reached the third round for the first time at the US Open since 2021, defeating Lloyd Harris 6-7 (1), 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-4. He faces Jiri Lehecka on Friday with the chance to reach the second week at Flushing Meadows for the first time in five years.
