Queeens, NY— Ben Shelton continued his U.S. Open run Wednesday with another demanding four-set victory, overcoming Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 to reach the third round.
The eighth-seeded American once again had to dig deep after losing a set, but he delivered in the biggest moments to secure his second consecutive four-set victory at Flushing Meadows.
Shelton came out aggressively and claimed the opening set before Hurkacz responded by leveling the match. The third set proved pivotal, with Shelton winning a tense tiebreak 7-3. He then held his nerve in the fourth set, eventually breaking through to close out the match.
The victory triggered an emotional celebration from Shelton, who pumped his fists and soaked in the moment after finally putting away the Polish veteran.
The 23-year-old has endured a challenging start to the tournament. Shelton dropped the opening set against Tallon Griekspoor in his first-round match before recovering to win the next three sets.
Now, he is one victory away from matching his best recent progress at the tournament.
Shelton has reached the third round on three previous occasions but has advanced beyond it only once. His deepest U.S. Open run came in 2023, when he reached the semifinals before falling to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
The American will next face either Denis Shapovalov or Luca Van Assche, with the two unseeded players scheduled to meet later Wednesday.
This year’s tournament represents Shelton’s sixth appearance at the U.S. Open. He is part of a strong group of six American men who entered the tournament as seeds, alongside Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien, Frances Tiafoe, Brandon Nakashima and Tommy Paul.
For Hurkacz, meanwhile, the defeat extends his frustrating history at Flushing Meadows. The 29-year-old has now competed in eight U.S. Opens without reaching the third round.
His best Grand Slam performance remains his run to the Wimbledon semifinals in 2021. Hurkacz defeated several notable opponents during that tournament before his run ended against Matteo Berrettini in four sets.
Shelton now turns his attention to the third round, where another opportunity awaits to push deeper into the tournament and build on the semifinal run that established him as one of America’s leading young players.
