American eighth seed Ben Shelton beat Ugo Humbert 6–3, 7–6, 7–6 in a tough first-round match at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The match, played at Rod Laver Arena, was a close battle between two left-handers.
Shelton started strongly and won the first set comfortably. Humbert improved in the second and third sets, pushing Shelton into two tie-breaks. However, Shelton stayed calm and used his experience to win both.
Shelton said his confidence in tie-breaks helped him, as he had played many of them at last year’s tournament. He served powerfully throughout the match and showed great composure under pressure.
Humbert fought hard and even led early in the final tie-break, but Shelton recovered well and won the match with a forehand winner. It was Humbert’s first loss in four Grand Slam matches against a left-hander.
Shelton said he was pleased with how he stayed calm and found his best tennis later in the match. He now looks forward to building on this performance as the tournament continues.
