Defending champion Ben Shelton made a triumphant start to his quest to retain his Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships title on Thursday. The American battled past big-serving Reilly Opelka 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a thrilling first round match, setting the stage for an exciting tournament ahead.
Shelton, who captured his first tour-level trophy at last year’s ATP 500 event in Tokyo, showed his determination and resilience as he improved throughout the match against Opelka. After one hour and 47 minutes of intense play, the 21-year-old emerged victorious and secured his spot in the second round.
“I have a lot of love for this tournament and this city,” Shelton expressed on defending his title. “I have a lot of confidence. Being here and knowing the situations I have come through in this exact stadium, in the most important moments, gives me a great sense of confidence and motivation.”
The crowd at Ariake Coliseum witnessed a display of “Big Ben energy” as Shelton’s strong and consistent performance proved to be too much for Opelka. After levelling the match, the eighth seed fired 11 winners and did not face a single break point in the third set, showcasing his dominance on the court.
“It was a tough start for me. I felt like I was struggling a little bit at the beginning to find my rhythm,” Shelton shared. “Reilly was serving and returning extremely well, making things difficult for me. When you play someone like Reilly, who can take the racquet out of your hand, it is never going to be an easy match. I am happy with the way I competed. Breaking his serve multiple times gives me a lot of confidence.”
With this win, Shelton now leads Opelka 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, having defeated the former Top 20 star en route to the quarter-finals in Cincinnati earlier this year. Up next, Shelton will face Argentine Mariano Navone in a highly anticipated match.
Another former champion in Tokyo, Taylor Fritz, was unable to follow in Shelton’s footsteps and secure a spot in the second round. #NextGenATP Frenchman Arthur Fils delivered a sensational performance on his event debut, defeating the top seed Fritz 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Fils will now face a potential popcorn encounter against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini in the second round.
Fils’ victory was a statement of his potential and talent as he struck 32 winners to Fritz’s 18 in a two-hour, three-minute match. The Frenchman also won 55% (18/33) of return points against Fritz’s second serve, according to Infosys ATP Stats. This victory places Fils among the top contenders for the title, and he is definitely one to watch out for in the remaining matches.
Following his impressive run to the US Open Championship match, Thursday’s defeat was a minor setback for Fritz’s hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the second time. However, the 26-year-old remains determined and will now shift his focus to the Rolex Shanghai Masters as he continues his pursuit for a spot at the prestigious season finale in Turin.
Meanwhile, Fritz’s countryman Tommy Paul had a comfortable start to his campaign at the hard-court event in Japan. The fifth seed defeated Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-2 in a convincing fashion to improve his record to 15-3 in opening-round matches this year.
Currently ranked 11th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Paul will be eyeing a deep run in the tournament to boost his chances of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals. He is currently 520 points behind eighth-placed Alex de Minaur, who occupies the final qualification spot. With de Minaur out of the tournament due to injury, Paul has a great opportunity to make a strong case for his spot in the season finale.
In the next round, Paul will face Tomas Machac after the Czech player defeated Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-7(5), 7-5 in an intense match.
In an all-American clash, rising star Brandon Nakashima continued his impressive recent form with a 7-5, 6-3 win against
