NEW YORK — Ben Shelton’s second-round matchup of the US Open posed as a bit more of a challenge than the first.
Still, the top-ranked American defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7), 7-5 inside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday afternoon.
The duel lasted three hours and 24 minutes following a 32-minute first set in which the American cruised on the success of his first serve.
Shelton’s challenge came directly afterwards, with his Polish opponent winning the next set and battling throughout the entire match.
“I know I was never down in terms of set score, but the momentum definitely shifted,” Shelton said afterwards. “I mean, he hit another gear when I was up a set in the break, and the match was fully in my control to up in the air.”
Shelton noted he found “so many things in terms of game style” near the end of the match in order to close out in four sets. Both Shelton and Hurkacz used a variety of shots — forehands, backhands, drop shots, overhead smashes and overhead volleys — and spins during rallies throughout the afternoon.
“So that was a big one for me,” he said. “I was super excited to get through that one and relieved, obviously, because I thought he was serving lights out, moving well, not making errors from the baseline, and it was a tall task.”
The second-round win comes after the eighth-ranked southpaw defeated Tallon Griekspoor in four sets on Monday.
Shelton’s sluggish start in that match resulted in him dropping the first set, 1-6, before cruising the rest of the way.
On Wednesday, Shelton trailed in each set after winning the first as Hurkacz fought to stay in the see-saw battle.
The third set emphasized the back-and-forth match as no player won a break point and neither gained a real advantage in winners (Shelton, 12-11).
The American’s 12th winner, though, came as he smashed a lob that bounced on the hardcourt before landing into the first-row seats.
It was the decisive point to win a tiebreaker, which later prompted him to invite the audience inside a mostly-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium — he described it as the greatest tennis stadium in the world — to roar before the final set.
In the end, the demanding match against Hurkacz benefits Shelton, the American acknowledged. He said being pushed to this level early on in the tournament works out in the long run of the course a Grand Slam.
“I think being battle tested is great. Don’t think you want to be playing five setters all the time,” Shelton said. “Maybe I could have won this match more efficiently today, but I thought that a lot of it was just credit to [Hurkacz], and the level that he started to bring.”
The loss sent Hurkacz home after he notched a first-round, four-set victory over Damir Dzumhur.
Wednesday’s Open match was the first time the two faced off in their careers.
For Shelton, the win moved him into the third round of the Open, the same point he was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury in 2025.
It also moved him a bit closer to potentially being the first American to win the Open since Andy Roddick in 2003 — a drought he never even thinks about.
“I can’t tell you the last time I’ve thought about the American drought, other than being in these [interview] rooms. I think at the same time, we have the defending champ [Carlos Alcaraz] in this tournament. I think the player field has a lot of hot players right now.
“I’m kind of just running my own race. I’m focusing on the next round, thinking about the ways that I can improve and get better and continue to improve my game.”