Ben Shelton of the United States returns a shot to Marcelo Demoliner of Brazil and Robert Galloway of the United States whereas enjoying with Andrés Andrade of Equador within the Men’s Doubles Quarterfinals on Day 2 of the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country Club.
Ben Shelton and Andrés “Andy” Andrade first met when Shelton, who was nonetheless in highschool, was hanging out across the University of Florida tennis group, coached by Ben’s father, Brian. Then, as Gator teammates for a yr, they gained an NCAA championship collectively.
The first time they’d have seen one another, Shelton admitted, “I was just a kid running around.” But, as soon as he acquired to school, they wound up turning into companions for half a season.
“We got a good chemistry going,” Andrade stated.
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PERFECT MATCH: River Oaks Country Club and U.S. Men’s Clay Court
That chemistry has been prominently displayed within the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship at River Oaks Country the previous two days. Given a wild-card into the doubles draw, Team Shelton-Andrade already has superior to the semifinals even earlier than the top-seeded Shelton has performed his first singles match, having obtained a first-round bye.
That occurs Wednesday when he takes on Zhizhen Zhang of China at 6 p.m., hoping to maintain his unblemished singles document in Houston intact. Shelton gained the title in 2024, defeating the 2023 champion Frances Tiafoe within the closing however didn’t return final spring to defend.
The Ben-and-Andy Show wobbled a bit early on Tuesday. They dropped the primary set to Marcelo Demoliner and Robert Galloway however then righted the ship and rallied for a 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 victory that each instructed took place largely due to the intangibles their friendship brings to the ball-striking combine.
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“First and foremost,” Andrade stated, “We are singles players. So, in doubles, you’ve got to have a lot of fun out there, and we bring that. If you’re not going to enjoy it, you might as well not play. We went down a set today and maybe our joking around helped us to get loosened up. I think that’s why we won the second pretty comfortably.”
“Anything can happen in doubles with no-add (scoring) and the 10-point tiebreaker,” he stated. “Momentum is a serious thing on the doubles court and the better the mood you’re in, the more momentum you can get behind you. Even if you’re not trying to force it, sometimes it will push you over the finish line.”
With the newest win, they’ve superior a spherical additional than they did of their Houston debut in 2024, when eventual finalists William Bloomberg and John Peers beat them handily 6-2, 6-1 within the second spherical. That lopsided loss, nonetheless, didn’t deter them within the least from taking one other shot. And, no matter occurs going ahead at River Oaks, they intend to remain joined on the hip by way of the European clay-court season.
“Right now I’m focusing on this week, but when we head over to Europe I’d love to play together as much as possible in the tournaments we can get into,” stated Shelton, who strongly believes doubles makes him a greater singles participant, the added fatigue issue however.
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“One-hundred percent,” he insisted. “You get to work on skills you don’t usually work in singles whether it’s serve and volley, quick volleys, somebody hitting it fast at your chest, returning to small targets, putting first serves in the court – all really important things that can make you successful in doubles and also elevate your singles game.”
On appearances, Shelton and Andrade are a basic odd couple. The 23-year-old American is a buffed 6-4, 195-pounder, whereas the 27-year-old Andrade, who was born in Ecuador however moved to Florida when he was 6 – explaining his utterly un-accented English – is a wiry 5-11, 160 kilos.
Their respective standings as singles gamers couldn’t be extra apples and oranges, both. After successful an NCAA singles championship the yr after Andrade had moved on from Florida, Shelton has been ranked as excessive as No. 5 on this planet, whereas Andrade’s present 218 represents a private pinnacle. He misplaced within the second spherical of qualifying right here over the weekend and nonetheless seeks a first-ever spot in an ATP-level match singles draw.
But Shelton would by no means, even jokingly, lord that disparity over him.
“Ben’s not like that,” Andrade stated. “He hasn’t changed. He’s the same Ben I’ve always known. Always humble.”
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Shelton made it clear his personal lofty private objectives for the upcoming European clay-court season gained’t get in the best way of doing no matter he can to assist Andrade progress with the last word objective, Shelton stated, “Andy making it into the French Open.”
They’re a group, interval.
“My priority is singles, of course,” Andrade reiterated. “I’m not that well ranked but I’m currently at my best ranking. I’ve been out here playing for a couple of years now. I just need to keep it going.”
Shelton, his fourth-seeded countryman Tommy Paul, who faces Adolpho Daniel Vallejo of Paraguay within the night’s second match, and the fifth-seeded Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry, on third within the afternoon session towards qualifier Alex Bolt, will all be looking for spots in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Tuesday’s singles winners included three seeds, Americans Brandon Nakashima (5) and Alex Michelsen (7) plus Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry (6). Nakashima defeated his countryman, Martin Damm, 7-6 (0), 6-2, Michelson made quick work of Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong, 6-4, 6-2 and Etcheverry, the match’s 2023 runner-up to Frances Tiafoe, rallied to beat his fellow Argentine Federico Agustin Gomez, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4.
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Australians Alexei Popyrin and Ricky Hijikata each took out Americans, Popyrin coming from a set down to get rid of Patrick Kypson, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, whereas Hijikata had a a lot simpler time with Alexander Kovacevic, 6-4, 6-2. But one other American, Nishesh Basavareddy, was in a position to pull out a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over the Canadian qualifier Liam Draxl.
On Wednesday, the fourth-seeded American Tommy Paul performs Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo within the nightcap, following Shelton’s check towards Zhang. Etcheverry meets Australia’s Alex Bolt at 2 p.m., after which American Mackenzie McDonald’s takes on Thiago Agustin Tirante, additionally of Argentina.
The second-seeded Tiafoe, looking for a spot in his fourth consecutive closing, and the third-seeded Learner Tien don’t play their second-round matches till Thursday. Like Shelton and Paul, they obtained first-round byes.
