Cincinnati, August 17: A significant upset unfolded at the Cincinnati Open as Portugal’s qualifier, Jaime Faria, delivered a stunning performance against Ben Shelton. This victory dashed Shelton’s hopes of advancing further in the Masters 1000 tournament.
Faria defeated Shelton decisively with a score of 6-4, 6-4. He capitalized on Shelton’s slow start, who was playing his first match after winning a Masters 1000 event in Montreal last week. This win marks Faria’s first victory against a top 10 player and also ended Shelton’s six-match winning streak.
In the second set, Faria found himself trailing 1-4 but rallied to win five consecutive games, securing the match. Shelton had several opportunities to come back, but according to ATP stats, he converted only 1 of 12 break points against Faria. After the match, Faria expressed, “This is a very emotional moment for me and my team. Doing this against a home player in front of such a fantastic crowd makes it even more special.” In the next round, Faria will face Australia’s Adam Walton, who defeated Ignacio Buse 6-4, 6-3 in his second-round match on Sunday.
Earlier, sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz won his opening match against fellow American Alex Michelsen, with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Fritz will meet Daniel Merida Aguilar in the third round, who triumphed over Jizu Bergs 6-3, 6-2. World number 12, Learner Tien, also started strong in Cincinnati, defeating Sebastian Baez 6-3, 7-6(4). Tien will face Frances Tiafoe, who won against Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-4 in the last match of the day on Sunday.
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