Shelton fights back from shaky start to beat Griekspoor at US Open

Shelton rallies past Griekspoor in US Open opener

Ben Shelton recovered from a difficult opening set to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 in the first round of the US Open on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as reported by multiple outlets.

The eighth seed and top American in the men's draw dropped the first set in less than half an hour, committing 14 unforced errors, including two double faults, and holding serve just once. Shelton, who is looking to become the first American man to win the US Open title since 2003, acknowledged his slow start in his on-court interview.

"Started off a little bit nervous tonight but found my rhythm at some point in the second set," Shelton said. He also credited his opponent, saying, "Obviously, a lot of credit to Tallon, he's a good player to play, he doesn't give you a lot of rhythm. He has an attacking game style and I found things really difficult for the first set tonight."

The 23-year-old turned the match around in the second set, sharpening his serve and breaking Griekspoor three times to level the match at one set apiece. He limited his unforced errors to just two in that set, having committed 14 of his 31 total in the opener, according to the New York Post.

The third set went to a tiebreak, where Griekspoor's errors proved costly. Shelton jumped out to a 4-2 lead before hitting an ace, and he sealed the set when Griekspoor's sixth double fault of the match handed him the advantage, as detailed in reports from The Straits Times and The Star.

Shelton then took control in the fourth set, storming to a 4-0 lead before closing out the win. He advances to his fourth consecutive second round at the US Open, where he will face Poland's Hubert Hurkacz.

Shelton's victory comes amid a challenging period for top men's players. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is injured, and Novak Djokovic was eliminated in the first round. No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz is competing in his first tournament since a 4½-month layoff due to a wrist injury, the New York Post reported.

Shelton, who has bowed out in the third round of the US Open in each of the last two years, arrived in New York with momentum after successfully defending his Canadian Open title earlier this month. Griekspoor, meanwhile, had upset top seed Alexander Zverev in Montreal, setting up a challenging first-round draw for Shelton.