Follow us on Google Discover Ben Shelton has returned to winning ways with a hard-fought victory over Kamil Majchrzak at the Swiss Indoors Basel.
Shelton is the second seed at the ATP 500 tournament in Switzerland, and met the Polish qualifier in his opening match.
Saving two match points, he secured a 6-7(2-7), 6-3, 7-6(9-7) win over Majchrzak, and now takes on Spaniard Jaume Munar in the round of 16.
Shelton has a favorable draw at the Basel Open after the Achilles injury to Holger Rune, who will miss the rest of the season.
Rune received a message from Shelton after confirming the nightmare injury, but the latter has now turned his focus to his latest tournament.
Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty ImagesDelighted Ben Shelton speaks after his first win since his injury at the US Open
The American has only just returned from an injury of his own, with Shelton retiring hurt during his third round match at the US Open in August.
He’s now claimed his first win since then, of which he said: “That was a difficult one. I knew it was going to be a tough one.
“My first match that I’ve won since getting injured. Yeah, just really happy that I was able to create a little bit of momentum and get myself going here in Switzerland.”
And when asked how much of a special relief it was to get that first victory, he replied: “Yeah, it’s huge for me.
“When you’re trying to find your rhythm again it can be tough as a tennis player when you’re playing guys at the end of the season who are in form and you’ve taken some weeks off.
“Felt like I lost a little bit of rhythm, but I did a great job in my preparation before this tournament to get to a place where I could be competing and playing well here. Even if that match was a loss today, I was happy with the way I competed and played.”
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How has Ben Shelton performed since his US Open retirement?
While Shelton claimed his first win since that US Open disappointment, it wasn’t his first match since New York.
Shelton withdrew from the USA Davis Cup squad due to his shoulder issue, but he was able to return at the Shanghai Masters earlier this month.
But David Goffin shocked Shelton by winning their meeting 6-2, 6-4, but the injury that forced him to retire against Adrian Mannarino at the US Open more than likely played a role.
The world number six now looks to have returned to success at the perfect time, with Shelton in a prime position to qualify for the ATP Finals next month.
He also boasts a fantastic recent history at the Basel Open, reaching last year’s final before losing to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.