Rain kept delaying matches for a second straight day at the US Open, but absolutely nothing could stop 23-year-old Ben Shelton from delivering an epic performance at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He went four sets against Hubert Hurkacz in a thriller, ultimately winning 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5 to punch his ticket to the third round. This tournament is already giving us drama, and we’re just getting started!
Shelton Brings the Fire in a Men’s Draw Full of Surprises
Shelton was absolutely dialed in on Wednesday. He dominated from his first serve, winning a ridiculous 73 percent of those points. Hurkacz put up a fight, taking the second set with his powerful serve, but Shelton’s return game and sheer physicality made the real difference. The guy won 45 percent of return points on Hurkacz’s second serve and ripped 44 winners. When a player is hitting numbers like that, you know they’re locked in. Elsewhere in the men’s bracket, we saw some big upsets shake things up. Alex Michelsen took down No. 16 Brandon Nakashima in straight sets (6-3, 6-4, 6-4), and Daniel Merida pulled off another shocker by defeating No. 23 Andrey Rublev 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. No. 7 Daniil Medvedev had a cleaner path, taking out Sebastian Gorzny 6-1, 6-3, 7-5. Also moving on were No. 26 Arthur Rinderknech, Botic Van De Zandschulp, and Benjamin Bonzi. These early upsets always make the tournament interesting, throwing a wrench into everyone’s brackets.
Pegula Stays Dominant in the Women’s Bracket
On the women’s side, American favorite Jessica Pegula showed why she’s a force, staying in top form and absolutely cruising past Sofia Kenin in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Pegula barely broke a sweat, reaching the third round by dominating her serve, winning 83 percent of those points, and committing just 8 unforced errors. That’s how you get it done! Other top-ranked players also advanced, including No. 7 Karolina Muchova with a crushing 6-1, 6-0 win over Katie Boulter, and No. 11 Marta Kostyuk defeating Sloane Stephens 6-1, 7-5. No. 15 Diana Shnaider, No. 16 Sorona Cirstea, No. 19 Jasmine Paolini, No. 31 Leylah Fernandez, Nikola Bartunkova, Paula Badosa, and Taylor Townsend all secured their spots in the next round. The top players are looking sharp, but these early rounds can still be tricky.
The second round action kicks off Thursday on ESPN, with every single match also streaming on ESPN Unlimited. Times are still TBD, but you know what to do: clear your schedule and get ready for more wild tennis. This tournament is just getting started!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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