Shelton Changes the Game Against Cobolli in Acapulco
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Synopsis
Acapulco, Feb 25 (NationPress) After narrowly overcoming Flavio Cobolli in the first round of the Mexican Open, Ben Shelton expressed his determination to break his losing streak against the player, achieving a victory he deeply desired.
Key Takeaways
- Ben Shelton defeats Flavio Cobolli in the first round.
- Determined to change his previous record against Cobolli.
- Next up for Shelton is David Goffin.
- Casper Ruud also advances in the tournament.
- Tommy Paul and Tomas Machac have strong starts.
Acapulco, Feb 25 (NationPress) After narrowly defeating Flavio Cobolli in the opening round of the Mexican Open, Ben Shelton acknowledged the importance of not allowing past defeats to affect his performance. Having faced Cobolli twice before and lost, the American was resolute in changing the outcome, achieving a victory he "wanted really bad."
The left-handed player triumphed over Cobolli with a score of 7-6(4), 7-6(4), advancing to the second round of the Mexican Open on Tuesday (IST). In the next round, Shelton will encounter David Goffin, who easily defeated Rinky Hijikata 6-2, 6-3.
"That was one I wanted really bad. For me, I won the first set in the first two matches and ended up going down a break in the second, losing the second, and ultimately losing in three sets. So for me, I wanted to fight back there, complete it in two, and get off the court," Shelton remarked during a court interview.
"It’s never easy going into a match being 0-2 against someone. Like I said in Australia, you go 0-3 and they become your daddy, so I was fighting again for that not to happen and happy with the performance," he added.
Earlier in Acapulco, Casper Ruud smoothly progressed to the second round on the Mexican Pacific Coast, winning against Arthur Rinderknech with a score of 6-4, 6-3. The Norwegian, who recently finished as a runner-up in Dallas, extended his lead against the Frenchman to 3-0. Ruud, who was a finalist in both Mexican ATP Tour events last year, will face either Aleksandar Vukic or wild card Rodrigo Pacheco Mendez in the next round.
Tommy Paul and Tomas Machac also started their campaigns confidently. Third seed Paul overwhelmed Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 6-2 and will now compete against fellow American Marcos Giron, who defeated Adam Walton 7-6(4), 6-2. Paul, a 2023 finalist in Acapulco, currently holds a 9-6 record in the tournament.
Meanwhile, eighth seed Machac emerged victorious in a match between Czech stars, narrowly defeating Jakub Mensik 6-4, 2-6, 6-3. Machac, making his tournament debut, will next challenge Daniel Altmaier, who overcame Miomir Kecmanovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
