Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old American tennis player, played his first clay-court ATP match at the ATP 250 event in Estoril, Portugal. It was also his first professional match on European soil. In an hour and 34 minutes, Shelton defeated Constant Lestienne 7-5, 7-5 in the first round to secure his first clay-court ATP victory. This win marked a significant milestone for Shelton as it was his first triumph on the slowest surface.
Shelton started the match with a crafty volley winner at the net to level the score at 1-1. Both players held their serves for the next few games until Lestienne landed a backhand down the line winner in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. However, Shelton responded with a service winner to lock the score at 3-3. In the eleventh game, Lestienne faced a set point but failed to convert it as Shelton denied it with a serve and volley combo.
In the second set, Shelton took control and broke Lestienne’s serve in the first game. He held his serve in the next one to take a 2-0 lead. Lestienne broke back at love in the fourth game to level the score at 2-2. Both players held their serves for the next few games until Shelton broke Lestienne’s serve in the eleventh game to make the crucial difference. Shelton served for the triumph at 6-5 and fired a service winner for a hold at 15 and a place in the second round.
Overall, Shelton played better behind the first and second serve, and he prevailed in the closing stages of both sets to seal the deal without playing a decider. The left-handed American got broken once and grabbed three return games to emerge victorious and move into the last 16.