Shelton defeated Pedro Cachin in four sets to advance to the second round where he faced 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem. The American played a break in the first set and then saved the set point, managing to turn the match into a tie-break.
Shelton then dominated the tie-break and won the first set. The American kept the pitch at the start of the second game and after that Tim couldn’t continue the game. He felt bad for a while and finally decided to retire, sending the American to the next round.
Meanwhile, Karatsev passed Jiri Lekhetska and advanced to the second round, where he faced Roberto Carballes Baena. The Russian played better in the first set, taking the opposing serve twice.
Carballes Baena responded by winning the second set and leveling the score. Karatsev regained the lead by winning the third set, then trailed 3-5 in the fourth set, but then won the next three games to make it 6-5.
Karatsev additionally won four match points, but spent them all. Carballes Baena managed to transfer the set on the tie-break but the Russian eventually faced his task and won the match 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4) .
This will be their first meeting, the score in personal matches is currently 0:0.
Shelton’s second round match was scrapped due to Tim’s illness. Although he played at a decent level, it’s hard to accurately gauge his level when the opponent couldn’t show their best side.
Shelton won back-to-back matches for the first time since their quarter-final at the Australian Open in January.
Meanwhile, in the previous round, Karatsev scored as high as 83 winners in four sets. If the Russian shows the same level of intensity in his ball-striking next round, he can easily beat the 20-year-old American.
Aside from a few good tournaments, both players have seemed unstable for most of the season.
It’s a great opportunity for both of them to make a breakthrough at the US Open. Karatsev’s level of play can be a bit inconsistent and Shelton is still a rookie, although he also has the home crowd advantage. This match can swing either way, but the more experienced Russian will have a slight advantage.
Forecast: Aslan Karatsev will win in five sets.
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Source: Sport
I’m Rose Brown , a journalist and writer with over 10 years of experience in the news industry. I specialize in covering tennis-related news for Athletistic, a leading sports media website. My writing is highly regarded for its quick turnaround and accuracy, as well as my ability to tell compelling stories about the sport.
