Ben Shelton’s first clay-court match in almost a year: How he performed
Ben Shelton got off to a good start on clay at the Houston Open, picking up his first win in almost a year. Shelton came into the tournament needing just one win to overtake Taylor Fritz as America’s top-ranked player, and he managed it against Zhang Zhizhen in front of a home crowd.
Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images Ben Shelton got off to a good start on clay at the Houston Open, picking up his first win in almost a year. Shelton came into the tournament needing just one win to overtake Taylor Fritz as America’s top-ranked player, and he managed it against Zhang Zhizhen in front of a home crowd. It wasn’t an easy match, though.
Zhang pushed him hard, but Shelton came through with a 7-6(7-5), 7-6(7-3) victory after nearly two hours on court. He now faces Thiago Agustin Tirante next, but before looking ahead, he took some time to reflect on his transition back to clay from hard courts. Ben Shelton makes a strong start in Houston Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Shelton reflected after the match: “It was my first match in almost a year on clay.
“I didn’t feel that comfortable playing from the baseline yet, it’s just something that’s going to take time and take a few matches. “I knew I had to be effective with my serve tonight and hit a few aces, and I’m happy that I did. ” While he said “a few aces,” what he really meant was 21, which summed up his serving display throughout the close contest.
His last appearance on clay was at the French Open in 2023 when he reached the quarterfinals. This win shows he’s settling back into form despite the long break from this surface. Shelton leans on serve in first match back on clay After the win, Shelton said: “It was my first match in almost a year on clay.