Hard-fought
victory for
Ben Shelton (No. 16) against a resilient
Jordan Thompson (No. 44)
by 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4, securing a spot in the semifinals of the
Dallas Open. The
Australian displayed efficiency with his service and capitalized on crucial
moments to take the lead, but the American young star remained calm and came
back from a set down.
In the
first set, both players showcased strong serves and faced few challenges in
maintaining parity. Shelton achieved a 70% first serve percentage, winning 83%
of them, while Thompson had a 60% first serve, winning 90% of those points.
The difference emerged in the second serve, with Thompson being
relentless at 90% points won on his second serve, compared to Shelton's 57%.
Despite no break points until the tie-break, Thompson capitalized on Shelton's
first serve errors, securing three mini-breaks and taking the first set 7-6(2).
The second
set saw minimal differences in service performance early on. However, Thompson
faltered in the seventh game, conceding the first break points of the match.
Shelton converted on his third opportunity, closing a tight set at 6-4 with an
aggressive game featuring 11 winners and only three unforced errors, compared
to Thompson's 6 winners and 5 unforced errors.
The
decisive set followed the match's pattern, with both players maintaining an
impeccable level of serving. Similar to the second set, Thompson struggled in
the seventh game, offering three more break opportunities to Shelton. The
Australian seized his first chance to establish a definitive lead. In the end,
Thompson couldn't make a comeback on the return, and Shelton secured the
victory with a 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-4 scoreline.
Tommy Paul battle past against
Dominic Koepfer
World No.
15 Tommy Paul faced challenges in his match against Dominic Koepfer (No. 60)
but secured a crucial victory with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3. In the first set,
both players experienced inconsistencies in their serves, resulting in several
breaks on both sides. The American held a 5-3 lead with a chance to close out
the set on his serve, but Koepfer quickly secured a break, extending the set to
5-5. Paul managed to break again and, this time, held his serve to take a 7-5
lead.
The former
Australian Open semifinalist looked more solid in the second set, facing no
difficulties with his serve. Paul secured a crucial break in the fourth game,
providing him with the decisive advantage. Koepfer resisted in the final game,
saving four match points, but Paul eventually closed out the set on his fifth
opportunity, securing his spot in the semifinals with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.