Shelton powers through Houston opener as Paul battles into next round
Ben Shelton kicked off his clay-court campaign in style on Wednesday, securing a straight-sets victory over Zhang Zhizhen at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston. The top seed prevailed 7-6(5), 7-6(3) in a tightly contested match that highlighted his serving dominance.
Returning to clay for the first time in nearly a year, Shelton admitted he is still adjusting to the surface. Despite not feeling entirely comfortable in baseline exchanges, he leaned heavily on his serve to gain the upper hand. His strategy paid off, as he delivered an impressive 21 aces to control key moments throughout the match.
The encounter remained evenly balanced from start to finish, with neither player managing to break serve. Shelton showed resilience in the opening-set tie-break, recovering from a 2-5 deficit to claim the set and set the tone for the rest of the match.
The American, who lifted the Houston title in 2024, is competing in his first clay event since reaching the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year. He entered the tournament looking to regain momentum after a challenging March, where he recorded just one win across tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami.
With this victory, Shelton now edges ahead in his head-to-head record against Zhang, improving it to 2-1. Their previous clay-court meeting in Rome had gone in favor of the Chinese player, making this win a measure of redemption for Shelton.
Advancing to the quarter-finals, Shelton is set to face Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante for the first time. Tirante earned his spot in the next round with a commanding win over Mackenzie McDonald, dropping only two games in the process.
Meanwhile, fourth seed Tommy Paul had to dig deep to secure his place in the next stage. He faced a tough challenge from Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo, eventually coming through with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory after nearly slipping behind in the deciding set.
Paul found himself trailing 1-3 in the final set but responded with determination, winning five of the next six games to turn the match around. Reflecting on the contest, he noted the difficulty both players had in holding serve, with frequent breaks shaping the flow of the match.
He also emphasized the importance of adapting his approach, becoming more aggressive during crucial rallies to gain the advantage. Paul acknowledged that early rounds can be particularly demanding, especially when transitioning between
Looking ahead, Paul will face Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the next round, a familiar opponent he recently defeated in Miami. Etcheverry advanced after overcoming Alex Bolt in a three-set battle.
Despite the loss, Vallejo delivered a commendable performance. The 21-year-old was competing against a Top 50 opponent for the first time and was aiming to become the first Paraguayan in nearly two decades to reach an ATP Tour quarter-final.
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