Shelton overcomes illness and Opelka in serving marathon at Indian Wells
Ben Shelton won against Reilly Opelka 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 6-3 on Friday night and will face American Learner Tien, the No 25 seed, in the next round
Ben Shelton, 2026 | © Zuma / PsNewz
In a grueling battle of American giants, world number 8 Ben Shelton fought through physical discomfort to defeat Reilly Opelka 6-7(3), 7-6(4), 6-3 on Friday night. The victory, which took nearly two and a half hours, marks a successful start to the California desert campaign for the 23-year-old left-hander.
The result secures Shelton a place in the round of 32, where he will face fellow young American Learner Tien, the number 25 seed. Tien enters the matchup in career-best form after navigating his own twin tiebreak win against Adam Walton earlier in the day. This upcoming clash carries extra weight as Tien stunned Shelton in their only previous meeting on grass in Mallorca last summer.
Resilience Under the Weather for shelton
Despite the win, it was evident throughout the match that Shelton was not at 100 percent physically. The eighth seed looked visibly sluggish between points and was seen consulting with the trainer during changeovers.
The pivotal factor in the match was Shelton’s ability to remain unbreakable across the final two sets. While Opelka, standing at 6-foot-11, fired a barrage of aces and won a high percentage of his first-serve points, he was unable to capitalize on his momentum after winning the first set.
Shelton’s resilience was reflected in the third set statistics, where he limited his unforced errors and finally secured the only break of serve in the entire match to take a 4-2 lead.
A Serving Duel Decided by Physical Endurance
The opening set lived up to its billing as a contest between two of the tour’s most explosive servers, as neither player faced a break point. Opelka, ranked number 68 and coming off a victory over Ethan Quinn, was clinical in the tiebreak, using his reach and power to claim it 7-3. At this stage, Shelton’s physical struggles seemed likely to end his night early, as he struggled to maintain his usual high-intensity celebrations.
However, the momentum shifted in the second set. Shelton refused to fade, finding a second wind to force another tiebreak which he claimed 7-4.
By the time the match reached the third set, the physical toll began to show more on Opelka, who was dealing with his own abdominal strain issues. Shelton capitalized on a slight dip in the veteran’s serve speed to secure the decisive break, ultimately closing out the victory to improve his career head-to-head record against Opelka to 3-0.
