Ben Shelton needed four sets to get through his second-round matchup at the U.S. Open, but the former Florida star rallied and advanced to the third round for a fourth consecutive year. He is the only left-handed American man to accomplish that feat over the past 30 years.
Shelton defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 on Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The No. 8 seed struck 44 winners against 35 unforced errors and found another gear in the biggest moments of the match.
"I am super happy with the way the match went," Shelton said afterward. "It was a battle until the end, and I thought Hubi played outstanding today."
Shelton won the opening set before Hurkacz answered in the second. Neither player gave much away in the third, but Shelton controlled the tiebreak 7-3 — just as he did in the first round against Tallon Griekspoor — to regain the lead.
The fourth set stayed tight until Shelton broke Hurkacz late to close out the match. He celebrated emphatically after match point, later explaining that the reaction came from both excitement and relief after Hurkacz threatened to push the match to a fifth set.

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