American tennis player Ben Shelton, the 10th American seed at Wimbledon, proved with both his grit and his game. He finished off Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in a thrilling contest that lasted across two days. The competition stopped on Thursday due to the worsening weather. It picked back up on Friday, and Shelton wasted no time closing out the win, tapping out in less than a minute.
Lefty Shelton started the match with a 227 kph (141 mph) ace, serving notice early that this would be a confident showing. He soon closed the door on her shot at a comeback, serving it out at 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 for the match. Shelton recorded four unreturnable serves. He served up three aces, alleviating some pressure and advancing to the next round.
Match Dynamics and Challenges
Shelton’s road to victory wasn’t as simple as it seems. On Thursday he had to save three match points when up 5-3 in the deciding set and had to fight off 0-40 on Hijikata’s serve. Despite this pressure, he saved all three break points throughout the match, demonstrating his ability to maintain composure under stress.
Reflecting on the unique circumstances of playing over two days, Shelton noted, “It was difficult. At that point, we kind of knew we were playing in conditions that weren’t ideal for tennis so for me it was like ‘what’s one more game?’” He expressed understanding for the tournament’s scheduling decisions, adding, “I understand the tournament’s got to make whatever decisions they make and players have got to live with it.”
Shelton has had to deal with matches split over two days in the past. He mentioned that this is only the third or fourth time that’s happened in his 30+ year Wimbledon career. He stated, “This seems to be the tournament I usually split over two days,” highlighting the unpredictable nature of the event.
Looking Ahead
Beyond this triumph, Shelton prepares for a meeting against Hungary’s 105th-ranked Márton Fucsovics. Such a win would see him through to the fourth round at the All England Club. The American has been hitting the headlines this year! They made the semis at the US Open and Australian Open.
As he gears up for his upcoming match, Shelton remarked on the adjustments athletes must make in unpredictable conditions. “Whether it’s rain or it gets dark out here, it’s one of those tournaments that you’ve got to be able to adjust on the fly, get used to stopping, starting, re-warming up. It’s part of what makes tennis fun.”
And it doesn’t hurt that Shelton’s girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, is a gold-medal-winning footballer. Through her emotional support on and off the court, she’s been helping him develop the extra motivation he needs to become great.
Final Thoughts on Playing Conditions
Only a short respite of 55 seconds until play restarted again. Shelton understood just how special it was to be competing at all under those circumstances. “Very different playing over two days and coming out for whatever that was — 55 seconds? — today,” he said. He laughed about needing to warm up by hitting some groundstrokes before rejoining the action. Instead, he discovered he would have to put in hours on the practice courts.
