Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Fritz enjoyed comfortable first round victories at the US Open when the New York Tournament started for the first time in its history on a Sunday.
For the second consecutive year, Shelton was the opening act in Arthur Ashe Stadium, which drove Ignacio BEEE 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 beyond the qualification view.
“It is starting to feel at home for me,” said the sixth -placed Shelton in his interview on the field. “This is the best court in tennis, my favorite place to play, favorite tournament.”
With him at reaching the second round, Fritz, who got more from a test, was still passed by another American, Emilio Nava, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in Louis Armstrong.
With Fritz sown no. 4, this marks the first major with two American men in the top eight since the US Open 2007 (no. 5 Andy Roddick, no. 6 James Blake).
Fritz, who lost to Jannik Sinner in last year’s champion match, has won 10 games at the US Open since 2023 – bound with Sinner and Daniil Medvedev for most of men in that period.
Shelton, 22, comes from his first Masters 1000 title in Toronto, where he became the first American to won the event since Roddick in 2003. Shelton squeezed out three decisive tiebreak during that Toronto-run, the most by each player on the way to a Masters 1000 title.
He had it easier against Buse on Sunday, a 21-year-old Peruan who made his most important debut on the main spot. Shelton saved all five breakpoints with which he was confronted, despite ending with only five aces – his least in a big race in his career.
Since the beginning of 2024, Shelton has been 21-0 against non-sown opponents in Slams-De on the second most such victories in that period behind only sinner (22-0).
Shelton and Fritz have two days off before they play their second round games on Wednesday. Shelton is confronted with Pablo Carreno Busta or Pablo Llamas Ruiz, while Fritz is waiting for the winner of Sebastian Baez vs. Lloyd Harris.
Fritz has now won 22 of his last 27 games since the end of the French Open, most victories of each player on the men’s tour at the time.
In other men’s singles results on Sunday, 18th placed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina van Spain, the Russian Alexander Shevchenko defeated 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. And Czech 19-year-old Jakub Mensik, the number 16 seed, passed Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-4.
Luciano Darderi in Italy, 32nd sown, defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in straight sets, while the Frenchman Arthur Rinder Knech needed to put four Roberto Carballes Baena away from Spain 7-6 (2), 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.
ESPN research has contributed to this report.
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